"Ten min- Ten minutes from now?"
"Out!" Madam Bones shouted, waving her hands at him, "I must prepare. Out! Now!"
Hurrying from the room when the monocle-wearing woman turned her wand on him, Harry slammed the door shut behind him and started pacing in the waiting area furiously.
They'd changed the time of his 'hearing' and yet Harry hadn't received an owl about it. Did that mean that owls couldn't reach him inside the Ministry, or that there had been no owl sent to him in the first place? He didn't want to automatically blame the Ministry, but the way things looked right now it was obvious to Harry that this was done intentionally to try catch him out. He didn't doubt that if he hadn't received the owl he would have been around an hour late for his trial, and would likely have been declared guilty in his absence. The only question now was, was changing the trial time like that actually illegal in the wizarding world? He was fairly certain that it was in the muggle one, but he was hardly a lawyer.
Either way, this was just another nail in the coffin of the Ministry.
"With me, Mister Potter," Madam Bones declared as the door swung open and she swept out of her office, now clad in what Harry thought to be a ridiculous-looking hat and some elegant formal black robes. Looking down at himself as he followed her Harry realised how lucky he was to have Sirius, as his godfather had managed to shrink his jacket to fit him better and had changed the colours to ones he had deemed more appropriate. He wouldn't stand out as someone clearly muggle-raised and poor (not that he was tight for galleons) with his godfather's improvements.
"Would you like to press charges?"
"What? I mean, pardon?" Harry asked as he and Madame Bones stepped into another of the silver lifts.
"Would you like to press charges?" the woman repeated stiffly, "Against the Ministry? The Wizengamot Charter of Rights clearly states that the time of the trial cannot be changed within twenty-four hours of it beginning without the written and spoken agreement of both the defending and accusing parties. Since I highly doubt you gave permission for the trial time to be changed, you are legally permitted to press charges against the Ministry of Magic".
"Oh uh… n-yes?" he answered hesitantly, changing his response at the last second when Madam Bones shot him a warning look and nodded her head quickly. "Yes, Madam Bones, I would like to press charges against the Ministry for this," Harry said more formally when the woman looked expectant.
"Thank you, that will make this a lot easier," Madam Bones admitted, her shoulders hunching just a little as the lift started moving. "Now listen carefully, Harry for we do not have much time," she continued. "I wish we had the chance to go over this properly but obviously we do not".
"You must answer every question as honestly as you can, but do not intentionally try to stir up trouble. We want the Wizengamot on your side, not to alienate them by pointing out the many, many flaws with the Ministry. Focus all your attention on the Minister and the Senior Undersecretary," the Head of the DMLE explained hurriedly, "But don't ignore everybody else. Speak in full articulate sentences, don't use nicknames or other slang, and never touch your wand. Should you be asked a question and have your answer ignored, call upon the 'Wizengamot Charter of Rights' which states that you must be heard or the trial is considered illegal, if you're falsely accused of something speak up about it but do not argue mindlessly. I will back you up if you do, but I will not intervene until the right time. And I understand if you disagree with this last point, but under no circumstances can you bring up You-Know-Who's return last summer".
"What?" Harry exclaimed, mouth snapping shut as Madam Bones raised her hand.
"That is exactly what Cornelius is waiting for. If you give him the opening, he will rally the Wizengamot against with you rumours of your 'attention-seeking nature'," she justified, "There will be time to prove the Dark Lord has returned later, for now this trial is about you and Umbridge. Do you understand?"
"I do," Harry admitted unhappily. And he did, it made sense to try take everything one step at a time, if he tried to tackle it all at once he'd lose – it just didn't mean he had to like it.
"Unfortunately," Madam Bones continued as the lift came to a stop before started going sideways. "I do not have high hopes for the outcome of this trial. If you seek to get the Minister and the Undersecretary in Azkaban or have their wands snapped, then you are no doubt going to be sorely disappointed," she clarified as Harry's head snapped around to stare at her. "If you are lucky you will leave the courtroom with ten thousand more galleons in your Gringotts Vault and two empty vacancies in the Ministry's higher departments, but we will have no way of knowing the outcome until it happens".
Nodding slowly, Harry considered his options. He had never really thought about what he wanted from this trial, all he had wanted when he heard this 'Umbridge' person had been for her – and maybe the Minister as well – to pay for trying to get him kissed. So for her to be a lot of galleons poorer and unemployed wasn't all that bad, it definitely didn't make up for trying to get him killed, but it was a good building block for future revenge.
"What are you doing down here?"
Blinking in shock as Madam Bones' voice pulled his mind back to the present, Harry immediately glared at the sight of Lucius Malfoy stepping from one of the normal golden lifts, the platinum blond freezing with an owl-in-the-headlights expression on his face. The hilarious look fading into a blank mask as Malfoy straightened up and tried to sneer down his nose at the shorter Madam Bones, the man just raised his eyebrow smugly before turning to face Harry with a matching scowl.
"Say a word to Mister Potter and I'll have you in a cell for obstructing justice and interfering with an official trial," Madam Bones snapped, cutting the man off before he could speak. "In all fairness, I should probably put you in a cell anyway for trespassing, or did you not hear the lift informing you that this level is restricted to individuals with passes and Unspeakables only".
"I merely came down here to see justice being done, not to obstruct it," Lucius began calmly.
"Then turn around and leave, or you'll see justice being done first hand when I pull you in front of the Wizengamot myself," Madam Bones threatened, making Malfoy sneer before whirling around and stalking back into the lift, glaring at them darkly as the grille slid shut and the lift started moving.
Coughing suddenly, Harry hid the snapping of his fingers behind fake choking, getting the briefest glimpse of the corner of Malfoy's expensive looking cloak bursting into flames before the lift went up out of sight.
"I'm sorry," he apologised when Madam Bones shot him an unbelieving look, "It's just, that was awesome".
"I know," the woman agreed with a smirk as she touched her wand to the DMLE crest on the lift and cleared her throat. "I want two aurors down in level ten immediately. Apprehend anyone who tries to pass without proper authorisation," she instructed, her voice sounding metallic and echoey as the lift started to rise up, with the echoes of her words still bouncing around inside it. "That should stop Malfoy from trying to get in again, Mister Potter," she promised him as she started to lead him down the hall and then down a flight of stairs.
"I have to enter through another door," Madam Bones said when they stopped in front of a black iron door with the number '10' carved in gold into the metal. "When this vibrates, the trial has started and you are to enter," she explained as she tapped a small pin with her wand and handed it over, "I'll see you soon, good luck".
And with that he was alone, Madam Bones hurrying back down the hallway as Harry looked down at the small bronze eagle broach in his hands. It looked expensive, more so than anything Harry had ever touched before, and definitely more so than any of his belongings – excluding maybe only his Firebolt and invisibility cloak. Frowning at it as something caught his eye, he brought it closer to his face and squinted, taking in the sight of small Latin words carved into each of the eagle's wings, the letters themselves shifting and moving every time Harry tried to translate them. All but the word 'Bones' that was carved across the bird's chest.
Realising suddenly that this belonged to Madam Bones, Harry immediately cupped it in his hands carefully, not wanting to drop it and possibly break a family heirloom.
Almost doing exactly that when it started vibrating out of nowhere, Harry moved forward and quickly opened the door to the tenth courtroom, stepping inside as he slipped the broach into his jacket pocket before promptly gasping at the room before him. The entire courtroom was made of a dark – almost black – stone with the occasional torch sconce set around the room to dimly illuminate it. At the far end of the room sat what Harry was assuming to be the Wizengamot in high seats, while lower benches ran along the sides still towering over the lowered centre of the room.
It was the same courtroom that Harry had watched the Ministry sentencing Death Eaters in, right down to the single chair covered in chains.
"You're late".
Glancing at his watch before he could help himself, Harry raised an eyebrow at the time, before glancing up at the man who'd spoken. The Minister, who had dispersed with his usual green bowler hat and was now glaring straight at him.
"With all due respect Minister, no I'm not," he replied, remembering Madam Bones' instructions to be polite and formal at all times. "I'm actually early".
"Take your seat," the Minister ground out, making Harry eye the chains on the chair cautiously.
After glancing up at the Wizengamot and noticing Madam Bones sitting to Fudge's left, Harry sat obediently, knowing she would have argued if they were going to bind him to the chair. And like he suspected, the chains clinked threateningly when he touched them but didn't move, leaving him to sit on the highly uncomfortable chair and look up at the gathered Wizengamot who were wearing a seemingly patternless combination of plum-coloured robes and the same black formal ones Madam Bones was wearing.
"Very well, now that the accused is present – finally – let us begin? Are you ready?" Fudge asked, peering over his desk to the person sitting below him.
"Yes sir!" piped up Percy Weasley, Harry blinking in shock for a moment as the red-haired young man turned to fix Harry with a glare just as dark as the Minister's.
"Excellent. Disciplinary hearing of the twelve of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice, Percy immediately beginning to write down what the man was saying. "Into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statue of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey".
"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley-"
Someone cleared their throat loudly and Fudge froze, turning to stare intently at the woman to his left, Madam Bones leaning forward to whisper – loud enough for the entire room to hear – "The defence, Minister?"
"Mr Potter was not provided with one," Fudge said with an evil sniff (Harry didn't even know people could sniff evilly). "It is not the Ministry's duty to provide the guilty with a defence. If he did not bring his own then-"
"He did".
Jumping slightly and twisting about as the courtroom door slammed shut behind his chair, Harry watched as a dark-haired woman strode down the aisle with a file tucked in her arm and scowled over her glasses at the Wizengamot.
"Scribe! Take note, Mr Potter's Witness for the Defence is one Shirley K. Homes," the woman snapped, wielding a posh English accent as easily as Professor McGonagall wielded a Scottish one. "Chief Interrogator, please proceed".
Eyes jumping straight to Madam Bones, Harry relaxed when he saw the woman wink at him subtly, the Head of the DMLE inclining her head towards Ms Homes.
"Yes well, the charges. Ah, the charges," Fudge stuttered searching for a piece of parchment on his desk. "The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on the second of August at twenty-nine minutes past nine at night. Proceeding this, the accused then once again knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, produce two counts of the Stunning Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of and on a Muggle, on the ninth of August at fifteen minutes past nine in the morning".
"Both charges constitute as offences under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statue of Secrecy".
As Fudge stopped to take a breath, adjusting his glasses and beginning to glare in Harry's direction again, Ms Homes let out a rather loud humming noise, shaking her head and tutting to herself as she opened her file and looked at the first piece of parchment there.
"Is there a problem, Ms Homes," Fudge ground out, looking like he'd swallowed a particularly sour lemon.
Ms Homes hummed again, "What were those charges again?" the woman questioned, looking up over her glasses with an unimpressed expression. "Scribe?
"You heard the charges that I just declared," Fudge snapped, pausing and taking a moment to collect himself.
"Well yes, but I must have heard wrong, since my client hasn't been accused of committing either offence," Ms Homes explained with a wide disarming smile that showed off her shining teeth. "Are you sure you have the right parchment, Mister Minister?"
Fudge's scowl turned into a glare just as deadly as the one he'd fixed Harry with earlier. "I'm sure," he snarled, "Now would you stop wasting my time and-"
"Court! I would like to present the Minister with his first warning," Ms Homes interrupted, "As per the Wizengamot Charter of Rights I am allowed to challenge the charges against the accused without the Interrogators trying to force me to stand down".
"Warning accepted," Madam Bones declared loudly, picking up a gavel and banging it once, levelling a warning look at Fudge when the man glared at her. "You were saying, Ms Homes".
"Right, as I was saying, my client has been accused of neither offence," Ms Homes continued with a simple nod. "I have here copies of the transcripts for both incidents and both of them show the cases have been closed".
"THEY ARE NOT!"
"They are so," Ms Homes corrected the puce-faced Minister. "The incident where my client allegedly cast the Patronus Charm has been closed by the Ministry and has been passed on to the I.C.W on the grounds of it being a matter for Internal Affairs. And my client just came from Madam Bones' office where he was found not guilty of casting two counts of the Stunning Charm after the actual casters and key witnesses came forward to provide both memories and sworn statements. This case was closed as well, Mr Minister. This trial is a waste of my client's, and the Wizengamot's time".
"Well then," Madam Bones said simply, Harry watching in awe as she just stood up and picked up her gavel again. "The case of the Ministry vs Harry James Potter has been closed," she declared, banging the gavel loudly as Fudge just spluttered in dumb shock. "Next on the itinerary for today, the case of Harry James Potter vs Dolores Jane Umbridge".
As Fudge's spluttering only got worse, Harry did his best to hide his grin, glancing over at Ms Homes who just winked at him innocently with an amused twinkle in her eyes.
"Hem hem," came a noise from the shadows to the right of the Minister, a woman leaning forward into the light and making Harry's eyes widen at his first glance of Dolores Umbridge.
She most certainly wasn't anything like he expected, he had expected maybe an older dignified woman, or perhaps a woman like Percy who was young and ruthless in her desire to get promoted. What he hadn't expected, was some kind of hybrid child of a large pale toad and a hag to be sitting there, her eyes bulging with fury as her mouth thinned dangerously.
"I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, Miss Bones," she said, with a high-pitched girlish voice instead of the croak that Harry had been half-expecting. "But for a teensy moment there, it sounded as if you were suggesting that this boy had a case against the Ministry!"
"Oh do forgive me then, Madam Undersecretary," Madam Bones replied coldly, peering around the pale Fudge to stare at Umbridge. "What I said was, 'Harry James Potter vs Dolores Jane Umbridge', not the Ministry".
"Before we do that," Ms Homes piped up, "Could we perhaps deal with my client's case against the Ministry of Magic? You did, after all, illegally change the time of his hearing without his written and verbal permission".
"But I- uh- er- but! Dolores! I mean Madam Umbridge was the one to arrange the change in the trial's time," Fudge blurted, Harry biting down on his tongue to hide his snort of laughter at the look on Umbridge's face as her head snapped around to stare at the Minister in betrayal. "Not the Ministry!"
"Very well then, my client suggests making this case 'Harry James Potter vs Dolores Jane Umbridge representing the Ministry of Magic," Ms Holmes offered without even a word from Harry.
"Understood and accepted," Madam Bones agreed, "Here we have the case of Harry James Potter vs Dolores Jane Umbridge representing the Ministry of Magic". Banging her gavel again, the woman turned to peer around the Minister again, "Madam Umbridge, if you wouldn't mind moving over to the Defendant's chair?"
Jolting in shock as the chair he was sitting in moved suddenly, Harry watched with his mouth open as his chair rolled across the floor to sit on the left side of the room while another matching chair appeared on the right side for Umbridge.
"Madam Umbridge," Madam Bones piped up when the toad-like woman went an angry red and refused to move, "If you do not take your seat on your own, I will call the aurors down here and force the issue".
Smiling innocently at Umbridge as the woman obeyed stubbornly, the look in her eyes just as feral as the one Harry's Uncle had sent him when he'd burnt the man's hand around a week again, Harry watched as she sat down unhappily in the chair without looking away from him once. Oh yeah, he could totally believe that this was the woman who sent dementors after him and tried to get him expelled illegally, he imagined that if she could get away with it she'd draw her wand and cast a Killing Curse on him in a heartbeat. He didn't know why she would, but he could tell she wanted to.
"Let this trial begin," Madam Bones announced, banging her gavel once more. "Minister Fudge, if I may be so bold, but perhaps you should surrender your seat," she suggested, the strength in her voice and the way she controlled the room making Harry realise why she was the Head of the DMLE. "You are the Defendant's direct employer, and as such you are a biased Interrogator," she continued as the sweating man began to argue, "If you refuse you will be held in contempt of the law and tried alongside her. That is the law".
"L-laws can be changed," Fudge countered, trying to puff his chest out to look big.
"Then perhaps abuse of power and treason instead of mere obstruction of justice?" Madam Bones suggested, making all the metaphorical wind leave the Minister's sails.
"Why yes, yes perhaps you're right," Fudge agreed quickly, going a sickly pale as he hurried to leave Madam Bones alone in the Interrogator's chairs, until two men silently stood and shuffled over to sit in the flanking chairs, as the Head of the DMLE took the centre chair.
Clearing her throat after nodding to both men, Madam Bones gestured to Percy and glanced down at the parchment before her. "Now begins the inquiry into Dolores Jane Umbridge representing the Ministry of Magic, under the charges levelled against her by the Accused; Harry James Potter".
"Interrogators: Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Rufus John Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office; Poss Idoon, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley," Madam Bones listed, sounding like she was just reading from a copy of the Daily Prophet, unlike Fudge who'd sounded robotic.
"Hem hem".
Madam Bones paused and peered over the desk at Umbridge, who'd finally torn her gaze away from Harry to glare up at her instead. "Yes?"
"I demand a Witness for the Defence, as is my right," Umbridge demanded coldly, smirking at Madam Bones when the woman merely blinked.
"It is not the Ministry's duty to provide the guilty with a defence," Madam Bones denied, smirking back at her smugly when Umbridge and Fudge both shifted uncomfortably. "If you did not bring your own, then you must represent yourself".
When Umbridge just crossed her arms and glared, Madam Bones glanced over the parchment on her desk and cleared her throat once more. "The charges are as follows: That she did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of her actions, commit fraud against one Harry James Potter. That she did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of her actions, attempted two counts of committing obstruction of justice. That she did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of her actions, attempted two counts of interfering with an official trial".
"I OBJECT!"
"And," Madam Bones continued, sending a warning look down at Umbridge, "That she did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of her actions, attempted two counts of murder," she finished to a barrage of whispers. "Do you object to these charges, Madam Umbridge?"
"I do," the toad-woman responded, turning to glare at Harry for a moment, "Potter is merely trying to distract the Wizengamot from his own crimes".
"Mr Potter has been cleared of all charges after he was found innocent," Ms Homes interrupted, rearing back to say more only to go silent as Madam Bones cleared her throat.
"As out of place as her words were," the woman began slowly, "They were correct. Harry James Potter was cleared after evidence was given to prove that he had committed none of the crimes of which he was accused".
"Neither have I," Umbridge sneered out, "And I am prepared to invoke the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, if I must".
"As is my client," Ms Homes cut in, shutting Umbridge up immediately, "Chief Interrogator, may we continue?"
"Yes, we may," Madam Bones agreed, "Ms Homes, if you would call forth your first Witness?"
As his 'lawyer' smirked, Harry watched in shock as the familiar face of Mafalda Hopkirk entered the room and replaced him in his chair, leaving him sitting in the stands as a scowling auror, a nervous looking man in pink robes and a steel-faced woman in a simple golden dress-robe lined up behind Madam Hopkirk.
"I am willing to give memories and take Veritaserum to confirm my testimony," Madam Hopkirk stated immediately, causing a wave of murmurs to erupt throughout the gathered Wizengamot.
"I hope that will not be necessary, Madam Hopkirk," Ms Homes dismissed with a wave of her hand, "Can you confirm that you work for the Improper Use of Magic Office?"
"Yes, I can".
"Can you confirm that you have issued a violation notice to Mr Harry James Potter for the use of a Hovering Charm in the year of 1992?" Ms Homes questioned, pulling a letter from her file which she handed to Madam Bones who levitated it over to Madam Hopkirk.
"Yes, I can".
"Thank you. Now can you confirm that you have issued a violation notice to Mr Harry James Potter for the use of a Patronus Charm in the year of 1995?" Ms Homes continued, handing the next letter to Madam Bones who once again checked it and passed it along to Madam Hopkirk.
"No, I can't," the woman replied after a mere glance at the letter, causing another rumble of murmurs and muttering to erupt through the Wizengamot members. "This is not my signature, nor was I working on the 2nd of August," she added absently, "My Department Head can confirm this".
"Chief Interrogator, if you would replay the letter?" Ms Homes requested, making Madam Bones take the letter back and touch her wand to it, Madam Umbridge's overly sweet voice echoing through the courtroom. "Do you recognise this voice at all, Madam Hopkirk?"
"Yes, I believe it to be the voice of the Madam Undersecretary".
"I object! Voices can be faked through use of magic!" Umbridge interrupted immediately, Harry grinning when he noticed the sheen of sweat on her face.
"Not in the Improper Use of Magic Office," Madam Hopkirk corrected calmly, "Our parchment comes is enchanted to prevent its destruction and to prevent unlisted spells from being cast on it. The Department of Mysteries came up with the enchantment themselves to prevent violators from claiming they received nothing from the Office".
Harry was once again treated to the sweet sound of the Wizengamot whispering among themselves, looking down on Umbridge in disgust and dislike. Perhaps Madam Bones had been wrong, perhaps Umbridge would get tried fully as she deserved, maybe she had underestimated the Wizengamot's dislike for the woman herself.
As Madam Hopkirk was released from the chair to go sit at the opposite end of the stands to Harry, not glancing away from the Interrogator's stand, Harry watched as the scowling auror moved to sit in the chair. The auror being identified as 'Andrew Grant', he then went on to – under probing from Ms Homes – reluctantly confess that he had ferried Umbridge to and from Azkaban on the night that Harry had 'allegedly' been attacked by dementors.
After Auror Grant moved to sit by Madam Hopkirk, scowling all the while, the pink-clad wizard took the seat as well and uncomfortably moved his grey fringe out of his eyes.
"Mr Kent," Ms Homes began after the man's name was given, "Do you recall seeing Madam Umbridge at Azkaban on the day of the 2nd?"
"Ye- yes, I do".
"And what happened when you performed the mandatory role call that night at midnight?" Ms Homes asked.
"Two dementors were missing," Kent confessed, making another surge of whispers break out through the courtroom, "they have yet to be located".
"What happened next?" Ms Homes demanded.
"I sent a message through to the Ministry as protocol demands," Kent admitted, "The response came through from the Madam Undersecretary's office stating that they were accounted for".
Watching as Ms Homes pulled a third letter from her file that was checked by both the Interrogators and Kent, Harry suck a look at Umbridge's face to see her looking smug about something, a sense of dread beginning to fill him as he recognised the look to be one of victory.
"Hem hem".
"Yes, Madam Umbridge?" Madam Bones asked unhappily.
"I fail to see any evidence regarding the accusations that I sent two dementors after Potter," Umbridge declared loudly, "All you have is his word they were sent after him, as clearly stated in my response to Mr Kent, the two dementors I called from Azkaban were reassigned to Auror Rowle in his search for a dangerous pack of werewolves. Will I get my chance to present him as a witness?"
"You will once the accused is finished," Madam Bones allowed, "But unless more definite proof is provided by Ms Homes, then both counts of attempted murder will be dropped from the list of charges as circumstantial evidence".
Oh… Well Madam Bones had told him the full charges were unlikely to stick, she must have known that Umbridge would be able to get away with a simple 'Prove it' or she wouldn't have let it go so quickly. Harry didn't like it, but even he could admit that from his point of view the dementor argument was rather thin.
As Kent was released to sit with the rest of the witnesses, Harry watched as the final one was called forward by the name of 'Sara Buss', the golden-robed woman sitting in the chair daintily with an annoyed sniff.
"My name is Sara Buss," the woman introduced before Ms Homes could speak, "I am the Head of the Department of Magical Law and Treaties. On the evening of the 2nd of August, Madam Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge entered my office and demanded I prepare a full Wizengamot trial for a simple case of Underage Magic. When I refused she threatened both my job and my family," she declared to the silent courtroom without any prompting. "Obviously I was forced to comply. This morning, she entered my office again and demanded I bring the trial forward one hour, when I explained to her that we needed both the Minister's and Mr Potter's approval to do so, she once again threatened my job and family in order to force me to do so. She then ordered my Department into silence towards Mr Potter over the time change and left. I contacted the Auror's Office and informed an auror who swore to take the information to Madam Bones immediately, something that apparently has not happened".
Silence echoed throughout the courtroom as the woman sniffed again and inspected her nails, "I would of course like to press charges against Madam Umbridge for her actions towards me," she added with a smirk.
"Thank you Ms Buss, you may join the other witnesses," Madam Bones said calmly, making the woman rise and sway over to sit with the others. "Madam Umbridge," she continued making the toa- woman perk up, "Can you present your witnesses to be questioned under Veritaserum?"
A dark look flashed across the woman's face. "No," she ground out coldly, Madam Bones merely nodding in response.
"Can you swear under Veritaserum that the charges against you are false?" Madam Bones requested.
And waited…
"Madam Umbridge, if you do not answer, your silence will be taken as a refusal and you will be charged," Madam Bones warned.
And waited…
"Very well, if the Wizengamot would confer?" Madam Bones declared, turning to the men on either side and stating something strongly as a loud whispering buzz filled the air and the Wizengamot spoke in hushed conversations.
Standing up at Ms Homes' direction and taking the now-empty seat, Harry glanced over at Umbridge to find himself the recipient of a murderous stare, unable to prevent himself from winking at her in response.
"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?" Madam Bones asked in a booming voice.
Heart pounding, Harry watched as one… two… four… five hands rose in the crowd, including the Minister's, Madam Bones giving them all a quick glance over and a suspicious look.
"Those in favour of conviction?"
And then there were hands, all of them pointing straight up, more than Harry could count as Umbridge let out a furious noise in her throat beside him.
The sound of a gavel banging smashed through the room, Madam Bones smiling down at the shell-shocked Umbridge. "Dolores Jane Umbridge you have been found guilty of two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of interfering with an official trial, and one count of fraud. As per the requirements for employment at the Ministry of Magic that one must not be convicted of a white-collar crime you are hereby released from duty at the Ministry of Magic. In addition to this you must pay a fine that will be determined at a later date by the Department of Magical Law and Treaties, as well as pay reparations towards Mister Harry James Potter that will also be determined by the Department of Magical Law and Treaties".
All of a sudden Harry felt that something from before twisting in his chest, filling him with a sense of bad as Madam Bones paused and her lips twisted in disgust.
"Because of your position and… good deeds… here at the Ministry however, it has been decided that you will not face Azkaban for your crimes," she confessed coldly, "Instead you will be barred from ever procuring employment at the Ministry of Magic or at any subsidiary of the Ministry. That is all, so mote it be".
Madam Bones had barely just banged her gavel on the stand in front of her, before Ms Homes was stepping forward immediately. "Chief Interrogator? My client would like to request an Order against Ms Umbridge barring her from having any sort of contact with him, citing her crimes against him as just cause for concern of future attack," she said loudly.
Harry did? And should he have really been expected a 'future attack' from Umbridge? It certainly made sure that he should, he'd just cost her a job and a lot of galleons after all. But still, what did Harry care? He'd just ruined the woman who'd tried to kill him, if she tried again then he'd just finish the job.
Madam Bones paused for a second before slamming her gavel once more, "Granted".
IGNITION
If it wasn't already obvious from the above, I am no lawyer. Nor am I trained in the etiquette or procedures of a foreign country's laws let alone those of my own country. I did my best to try follow what I have seen in other fanfictions, so if there are any mistakes I apologise and will attempt to correct them, so long as they don't require a total rewrite of the above (if they do, take the explanation of 'Magic' and 'Wizards').
And I won't lie, I was really tempted to cut this chapter into two chapters of around 3k each, but I thought that was just treading too far into cruelty so decided to keep it as it is.
Anywho! Next chapter is the last before Harry returns to Hogwarts! Shortly after that you'll be discovering exactly what Sirius was talking about regarding the 'King' and the 'Army', and Harry will be 'phoning home'. Exciting isn't it?
Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, you're all awesome.