Frisk woke to the sound of a light knocking on her bedroom door. She rolled over and looked, bleary eyed, out the window into the morning darkness. So she rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep.
The knock returned a bit louder. Frisk opened her eyes again, looked up at the ceiling, and suddenly remembered that she was supposed to go to the Ministry of Magic that morning. She stood, then called to the door that she was awake. Turning to the closet, she thought for a moment before deciding to wear mundane clothing, even if she was going to the ministry.
Dressed, Frisk wandered down to the kitchen. Toriel was already scrambling eggs next to fried bacon. Chara and Asriel must have been still asleep, because they were nowhere to be seen. At that moment, Frisk was slightly envious. "Where's Dad?" Frisk asked. She was hoping he was going with them.
"He's taking the morning off to watch Chara and Asriel. And to sleep in a little," Toriel told her, smiling. She divided the eggs and bacon onto two plates, putting one in front of Frisk, and keeping the other for herself.
When they finished breakfast, Toriel guided Frisk into the sitting room, and got the Floo powder down. A pinch of powder (and a sneeze or two) later, and Frisk was standing in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
Unlike when Frisk was here about a year ago, there was a huge throng of witches and wizards (and a few nonhumans as well) all bustling in on their way work. Toriel took Frisk's hand in her paw as they made their way through the crowd to the visitor's desk. Frisk recognized the wizard behind it, it was same one who'd been here last year, when prompted, she handed over her wand for it to be weighed. The wizard read the receipt, confirmed that length and monster fur core, and pierced the 'receipt' before handing Frisk her wand back.
"Oh, excuse me, Eric? Where is Madam Bones office?" Toriel asked politely. "We have a meeting in about fifteen minutes."
The warden pointed past the security checkpoint. "Up the elevator, it's on the second floor, just past the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts." He thought for a second, No problems are there?" he asked, looking down at Frisk. "Not in trouble are you?"
Frisk shook her head negatively.
"No, we're going up to give a statement," Toriel said, she started to pull Frisk away, but Eric stopped her.
"You came in with Floo Powder right?" Eric asked. Toriel nodded. "Frisk needs a visitor's badge. You don't, you're visibly a dignitary, but I got raked across the coals for not giving your kids one last time." He reached over to a small stack of papers, picked up a quill, and quickly wrote on it. "Witness, then?" Eric inquired. Toriel nodded a second time. He wrote a bit more, and handed the paper down to Frisk.
The paper was a small and silvery placard like material, backed with a goldish pin. It said, in clean, clear script, "Frisk Dreemurr, Hearing Witness." Frisk attached it to her shirt, and Eric waved them forward.
"Have a good day, Eric," Toriel said as they left the desk. They moved past the security checkpoint into the huge throng of wizards and witches. It took several different elevators opening before they were finally able to pile into a packed one. "Second floor, please," Toriel called out.
The elevator was notably emptier when they arrived on the second floor. Toriel looked down the hall they found themselves in. A sign just outside pointed the direction of "Magical Law Enforcement, and in the other direction, the "Auror Headquarters", and "Wizengamot Administration Office".
Toriel frowned. "I should have asked for better directions. Excuse me, sir," Toriel said, addressing a bald African-Brit wizard, as he emerged from a neighboring elevator. "Where is Madam Bones office?" Toriel asked.
"Here, I'll show you," he said, leading the way through a door, into a large open floor workplace. He adjusted his fez-like hat, which might have been in danger of falling off. "I just need to drop something off for my coworker," he told them. He handed off a manilla folder to a older witch with an eyepatch. "I'm still waiting for Weaseley's report on firelegs," he told her. "Should be here in a few minutes. I'll browbeat him then."
"Firelegs?" asked Toriel. "What are those?"
"Eh, you know," the witch said. "The things muggles use to kill each other. Muggle law enforcement uses them."
Toriel looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Firearms, you mean. Guns," Frisk said. "You've seen them in Alphys's animes," she told her mother.
"Whatever," the witch said. "We've had reports the Sirius Black is using one of the longer ones. They might have a better range than wands."
"I still say that's ridiculous, there's no reason to use muggle weaponry when you've got a wand that can cast unforgivable curses. Unless he thinks we've developed a way to track the use of the spell. Which, okay, the department of mysteries tries once in a while to do, but they've never managed it. Anyway, you were looking for Madam Bones office, this way," the wizard said, leading them out a different door then they came in. He pointed at the door, nodded, and headed back the way he'd come.
It was a nice looking wooden door, and it bore a gold nameplate, advertising it was "Madam Bones" and below that, "Head of Magical Law Enforcement".
Toriel approached the door and knocked on it.
"Coming," a woman's voice called from the other side. The door clicked open and Madam Bones stepped out, and closed the door behind her. "I'm glad you're early," she said. She pulled out her wand, gestured, and the lock clicked. "Fudge, for some unknown reason, has moved the proceedings down to the old court rooms," she told them. "Come, come, walk with me," she continued, leading the way briskly through a maze of corridors, ending up back at the elevators.
"So," Toriel said, as the elevator descended back down. "What do you need us to do?"
Madam Bones rolled her eyes. "Honestly? Just tell them what you told me. Then answer any questions Fudge, Ms. Umbridge, or I ask," Madam Bones said crisply, pressing the lowest button. "I'd been trying to get this trial called off, or at least take a statement from the accused, but Fudge is being obstinate." She looked like she was about to say something else, but held her tongue. They rode the rest of the way in an uncomfortable silence.
Once they got to the bottom of the elevator, Frisk found herself in a long, bare looking corridor. It was almost completely featureless except for a couple of torches and an obsidian door at the far end. Instead of leading the way towards the big black door, Madam Bones led the way to a flight of steps leading even further down.
This corridor was even darker and danker. Comparing it to Professor Snape's dungeon would have been a discourtesy to her potions professor. The doors they passed were wooden, thick, with large black metal keyholes. "Courtroom 10," she said. "I wish I had time to brief you further, but I must address the Wizengamot before the defendant arrives."
She was about to open one of the large doors, when she paused. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" she said. She performed a complex charm with her wand, and immediately, two functional wooden chairs appeared next to the wall, sightly down the corridor. "Wait here, please. Someone will come for you when it is time for you to testify."
Frisk felt really uncomfortable, and looked up to Toriel. Her mother smiled down at her, took her hand, and led her into one of the chairs. As they waited, a few stern looking wizards and witches filed past them, into the wooden door. Frisk pulled her phone out. It was just before eight. No wonder she was still tired.
"You should probably put that away, Frisk," Toriel told her. "I'm not sure people would recognize it."
Frisk nodded and put it back in her pocket. She sat quietly as a few more wizards walked in. She was on the verge of falling asleep in the chair, but the sound of running footsteps on the stone woke her back up. Frisk looked up as she saw Mr. Weasley leading fellow Gryffindor member Harry Potter at almost a dead run. Harry pulled the courtroom door open, disappearing inside. Mr. Weasley gave the inside a long look, then closed the door behind Harry.
"Arthur?" Toriel asked, looking up.
"Oh," said Mr. Weasley, panting, finally looking noticing them. "Hello, Toriel, how are you this morning?"
"I am well, but are you not going in after young Potter?" she asked. "Are you not his advocate?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head negatively, wiping his brow.
"That would be me, actually," said Headmaster Dumbledore said, striding down the corridor. Behind him was older woman in non magical clothing. "I don't have long, but may I ask why you are here?" he asked Toriel politely.
"Madam Bones has asked us to testify to the fact that my children were attacked by dementors on the second of August, Mister Dumbledore."
Frisk saw an emotion she didn't see very frequently on the headmaster's face: surprise. But it was gone almost immediately. "Has she now? It seems she is quite on the ball. Very well. I hope you don't mind if I ask Ms. Figg to testify first. But I must go in before the trial really starts."
"Not at all," Toriel said as Dumbledore turned toward the door.
Frisk stood immediately after Dumbledore closed the door behind him. "Would you like to sit down, Ms. Figg?"
"Or you, Arthur? You look like you are going to collapse."
Mr. Weasley collapsed thankfully into the chair, but Ms. Figg demurred. "Mr. Dumbledore said it wouldn't be long." As it turned out, it wasn't long before the door opened from the inside and a red haired man looked around, locked on to Ms. Figg, and escorted her inside."
"Are you alright, Arthur?" Toriel asked. "You seem to have finally caught your breath."
Mr. Weasley looked at the courtroom. "I suppose I am. Why is the hearing being held down here? Is he going to be judged by the whole court? For an underage use of magic charge?" he asked. "What is Fudge thinking?"
"Madam Bones asked the same question," Toriel told him.
Mr. Weasley furrowed his brow, but didn't say anything further.
About five minutes later, the young man led Ms. Figg back out. After looking back in for a second, the young man stepped back out, nodding to Frisk and Toriel. "Come on in," he said. His gaze fell on Mr. Weasley for a moment, then rapidly looked away.
"Thank you," Toriel said, taking Frisk by the hand, and followed him into the courtroom.
The courtroom was stone, cold, and uninviting. The only light was a few torches spread throughout the room. About half the room was surrounded by benches. The lower ones were empty, but the upper ones were full of wizards and witches that Frisk could barely see. They were looking down at them with a mixture of grim and curious looks. Frisk felt Toriel's paw tighten just slightly.
In the center of the room was a pair of chairs. A cozy looking arm chair, and plain brown wooden chair that was covered top to bottom in cruel looking iron chains. Was it Frisk's imagination? Or were those chains moving slightly, on their own? At least they hadn't seen fit to attack Harry yet, but he was sitting on the chair like there was a viper taking up the rest of it.
"Another witness?" Minister Fudge said. Frisk's attention was pulled to the bench immediately in front of Harry. The young man who'd escorted them in was climbing into it to join Minister Fudge (who she recognized), Madam Bones, and another witch, who seemed to be intent on sitting as far out of the light as she could. "Wait, Toriel Dreemurr? And her adopted daughter Frisk? What could they possibly have seen?" Minister Fudge demanded.
"I believe you were saying the odds on dementors showing in Little Whinging were so long Ludo Bagman wouldn't take them. While I do not believe such odds actually exist, I have additional testimony that they were seen in the Greater London on the same night as Harry's attack..."
"But the behavior of dementors, real or imagined, are not the subject of today's trial!" the minister exclaimed.
"They were also going after a child." The headmaster finished, as if he hadn't been interrupted. "And whether or not dementors were in the London area is in fact, extremely relevant. Ms. Frisk, can you please tell the court what happened to you?"
Frisk stared up at the large crowd of wizards staring down at her. Harry was looking around in his chair in astonishment. The only three people not staring at her was Toriel, Madam Bones, and the headmaster, who only had an expression of polite interest. At that moment, Frisk felt very small, and the words were not coming.
"It is okay, my child. Speak when you are ready," Toriel told her softly.
"Dumbledore," the minister said. "We do not have time for this. I want this trial concluded today!"
Toriel's head snapped up. "I had thought," she said, before the headmaster could respond. Her eyes were narrowed, and she had an almost laser like focus on the minister. "That the purpose of a trial was to arrive at the truth, no matter how long it took. I am not wrong about this, am I?"
The minister was taken aback. "No, no, of course not," he sputtered. "Take as much time as you need, Frisk."
Frisk closed her eyes, and tried to block out the mental image of the wizards surrounding her. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes again, and told the story of the attack once again. When she was about to tell how Asriel was almost kissed, she was interrupted by a loud clearing of a throat from the witch next to Minister Fudge. "How do you know they were dementors, had you ever been attacked by them before?"
"Yes," Frisk said. "At Hogwarts, when they were looking for the escaped criminal." It was quiet enough that Frisk was pretty sure she heard Toriel's eyes pop open.
"Now, now," the minister said hurriedly. "You don't need to go into that right now. The court should accept she has and let her get on with her testimony."
Frisk could feel the heat pouring from her mother's eyes. The response had been deemed acceptable. Barely. "That is when the dementor lowered his hood, and was ready to kiss my brother," she finished. A loud mutter rippled across the assembled jurists.
"How did you drive them off?" Madam Bones asked.
"I did, with soul magic," Toriel said, and concluded where Frisk had dropped off. There was silence afterward for almost a minute or two. Even Dumbledore seemed to be digesting this. "I saw them, too. I struck one of them."
"How is this the first I've heard of this?" Fudge asked. His voice was quieter now. The anger was gone, and replaced with an uncomfortable confusion. "Dementors attacking the monster prince and his siblings?"
Madam Bones nudged him and spoke quietly. Then she said, in a louder voice. "Do you have any other questions for the witness?"
"No," said the unknown witch.
"No," echoed Minister Fudge. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Dreemurr, Frisk. You may go."
Toriel bowed, then she took Frisk's hand in her paw, and led them both from the courtroom. When they were safely outside, "Let's not leave just yet, I'd like to hear from Madam Bones how it went." So they returned to their chairs.
"Don't you want to hear about the dementors attack at the school?" Frisk asked.
"I knew already. The headmaster told us about a week after the term. He said it had slipped his mind after Asriel and Chara came back to us. I cannot fault him for that. Yet, the minister, who was, as I understand it present for it, never said a word. I wonder why." She gave a thin, cool, smile. Then it warmed again. "But I would like to hear the story from you. If you are ready."
So Frisk told her the story, quietly, so no one (other than maybe Mr. Weasley, and he most likely knew anyway) would hear she'd aided a criminal. By the time she had finished, the door had opened and her headmaster was striding purposely out, with a smile on his face. "Thank you for your testimony." He looked at Frisk for a moment. "That reminds me, I am quite fascinated by monster soul magic, would you have time this afternoon for a conversation, and perhaps a demonstration?" he asked politely.
"Certainly," Toriel said, smiling. "Send an owl before you come?"
"I will," he promised. The headmaster gave them a polite bow, and headed back, with Miss Figg, towards the stairs.
Harry Potter emerged about a minute later. He was swept up into the suddenly excited Mister Weasley. They too, headed out.
"Not guilty," Toriel nodded. "Seemed like the direction it went."
"It did," Madam Bones said, causing Frisk to jump slightly. She hadn't seen her come out. "Come with me," she said in a quieter tone of voice. They headed back up the stairs and to the lifts, past a familiar older gentleman with sleek blond hair. Mr. Malfoy, Chara's birth uncle. He was talking to another witch, and paying them no attention.
Once they were safely in the lift back to the atrium, Madam Bones spoke quickly and firmly. "The minister has already prohibited me from launching an inquiry into the presence of dementors in the London area. His senior assistant called it a waste of my time. That's poppycock, but I can't go against him during working hours."
Toriel narrowed her eyes, but said cordially. "So what do we do?"
"I can't work alone, and I don't want to ask my staff for help. Would you or Asgore have extra time to help me research this on nights and weekends?" she asked.
"Asgore would be better at that than I would be," Toriel said. "I'll ask him." The elevator door opened, and Toriel and Frisk stepped out. "I will have him swing by this afternoon," She promised. The golden gate of the lift closed, and traveled further upward. "In the meantime," she said, "Let us go home and find some lunch, alright?"
A/N: Hey folks. I really do appreciate the commentary on some of my typos and other errors. I really could use a Beta reader to catch these things before I post them. I'd love to hear any other recommendations as well. But, in the meantime, can I ask you to send anything you spot to me as a PM? That way I can correct it! And as always, thanks for reading. -TZ