Chapter 8: The Trial
Cassie looked at Fudge, "I am not sure, Minister. Mr. Airiton took him off somewhere for Ministry business when we arrived."
The room had become full of hushed whispers as the room wondered how Richard would abandon his pregnant wife during this difficult time. As those who truly knew him, knew this was out of his character. And those who did not truly know him took the chance to gossip about it.
Peri observed those around them, she looked over her shoulder spotting Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. She gave a shuddering breath seeing Mr. Malfoy again, she had seen him briefly in France but he still made her skin crawl knowing the secret he had. Knowing the Ministry of Magic respected him while he was a known Death Eater.
Both of them were dressed in dark shades, but Narcissa was in a navy. Her dress gave the idea of a sailer dress even though Peri was sure she had never even set foot on a ship before. It simply suits the summer season while being sophisticated.
Her dark eyes noticed Pansy sitting below them with Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Theo although she did not see Draco. He probably did not want to come so he chose to stay home. Why would he want to help her anyway? She then took notice of her grandparents, aunt, uncle, and housemates' parents in attendance to hopefully watch her mother and papa crumble. She continued to scan the room spotting Fleur and Viktor sitting together near the top. Fleur in her usual French blue coloring, Viktor wore a maroon button-up with black dress pants.
Her attention was turned when Fudge began to speak, "We do not have time to wait for him." He looked at the back of the courtroom door. The door remained shut, and his eyes drifted down to Cassie, "I'm sorry Mrs. Banks we must begin. All be seated," he announced as he took his seat.
The door flew open as Richard entered, he appeared tired and disheveled, "My apologies," he breathed, appearing out of breath.
Peri watched him make his way down the aisle, she noticed his clothes were severely wrinkled which was very much unlike him. His blazer sleeve appeared ripped, she looked at her mom who had a worried look etched on her face, "I got pulled into a last-minute…never mind. Please let us continue."
He kissed Cassie's cheek as a quick camera flashed from one of the reporters who had permission to document the trial, "I'm so sorry, darling." His voice had dropped to a whisper, "I will explain later."
"What happened to you?" she asked trying to press on the matter as they sat down, she was also trying to fix his clothes.
He shook his head, "I can explain later." He gave her a look telling her to let it go for now.
Fudge cleared his throat before beginning, "Thank you for joining us, Mr. Banks. Let us begin…Professor Snape, you are suing Mr. and Mrs. Banks for partial custody of Periwinkle King who you share with Mrs. Banks."
Snape sat up straight, "Yes," he answered in a monotone voice.
"Were you aware that Miss. King was your daughter before it was announced publicly in the Daily Prophet last year?"
Snape was quiet before answering, "I was, but Ms. Banks tricked me into giving her a child. I never wanted to be a parent, certainly not at eighteen. Now I am one and after getting to know Peri some last year I want to be in her life."
Whispers fluttered around the room. Peri scanned the courtroom again before noticing a majority of the Hogwarts professors on her left.
"And we have memory evidence that had been submitted," Fudge spoke as the lights dimmed in the courtroom. The room went foggy like a pensive showing a memory but instead of a pensive being present the room allowed the memory to recreate before them as if it were a movie or play they were watching. The images were dulled in color to clearly show it was a flashback memory:
A young Snape was sitting under a tree reading, "Severus," a young Cassie spoke softly.
He looked up from his book pushing some hair back as the young Cassie walked down the hill towards him, "Cassie...is everything alright?"
She gave a soft laugh and nodded "I wanted to say goodbye. This is our last day at Hogwarts before we all go to do wondrous things."
"Not all of us will go on to do great things, Cassie. Some of us are not as fortunate to already have a job waiting on us with the Ministry." She sat next to him in the grass as he spoke, "Although Dumbledore did offer me a teaching position here once I gain more training. I am hoping it is the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."
"That is wonderful, Sev! You will be a great professor." She smiled at him very proud, "I am not sure if I should join the ministry, my father got me the position. I want to travel and see the world." She leaned into him, "We are young, and clearly with the war going on we need to take risks and see what the world has to offer. We only have one life and I do not want to use it stuck in some office."
Severus tensed up when she leaned into him but relaxed after a moment.
"Cassie…"
"Hmm?" she glanced up at him
"I...I..."
She sat up and looked him in the eyes, "I like you too, and not just in a friendly way. I like you more than that." She leaned in and kissed him. This caught the young Severus off guard but then responded to the kiss by kissing back and pulling her closer. She pulled away, "Should we go somewhere..."
She glanced around them; they were utterly alone she looked back at him. "More private." He just nodded unable to speak. She laughed and stood up then they returned to the school to find an abandoned classroom.
The room examined Cassie intensely. Richard seemed to be feeling uncomfortable after watching this memory, but his hand still held onto Cassie's.
Fudge spoke, "Did you intend to trick Professor Snape into giving you a child?"
Cassie rubbed her slightly pregnant belly with her other hand, "Yes. At the time I wanted out of my parents' control and their views because I didn't want an arranged marriage similar to my sister's. To do this I knew I would need to get pregnant, but I wanted someone I loved and cared for to father my child. Sirius Black even offered, but I knew he was in love with his girlfriend at the time Lady Emilie. During this point of my life, I did truly romantically love Severus and I wanted him to be a part of Peri's life. He even gifted me a necklace with a periwinkle flower on our final day at Hogwarts. I named Peri after that flower, but I never heard from him until two years later at the funeral of Ann and Patrick Porter. I had made him aware of my pregnancy and birth in letters, but he ignored everything I sent."
"Do you have evidence showing you sent letters telling him of your pregnancy? Or the birth of his child?"
"Memories of me sending them. I submitted those but whether he received them I do not know."
"Did you truly tell him? Or did you want to disappear to America?" a woman spoke up with a high-pitched voice. She was a part of the Wizengamont, she was dressed in black robes but Peri could spot a bit of pink sticking out from around the collar. She appeared though to be a large, pale toad in pink clothing. "As being a part of the Ministry yourself, Mrs. Banks. Specifically the Department of International Magical Co-operation you should know it is not allowed to remove a child out of the country without the other parent's permission. You did not have that permission though and the only way you could have left without permission is if you had left the father's name on the birth certificate. You though did not leave off the father's name, you listed it and still left without permission."
Cassie's breath hitched, Richard squeezed her hand. She swallowed the lump in her throat before answering, "As I stated, I submitted memories to the court before the trial showing me send the letters, whether he received them or not I don't know. But I couldn't exactly go to him in person, I did not know where he lived and at the time he was not a professor yet. As for leaving without permission my answer remains, he never acknowledged her existence. His name may be on her birth certificate but if he made no actual claim to her then it no longer matters. By the time we left, she was two years old. He had two years to acknowledge her and I am sure someone told him about her. Does not take much figuring to know we were together then nine months later I give birth."
"And you had no one else to ask where he lived?" the toad asked.
Cassie shook her head, "No. He didn't have friends. He had Lily Potter — she was Lily Evans then, but they stopped being friends. I was his only remaining friend at the time. As the memory showed, Dumbledore did offer him a position once he had more training. I suppose I could have asked him, but I did not consider that at eighteen. I didn't tell Severus and I don't know if he received the letters I sent, although I am sure Professor Dumbledore would have told him. Severus, though, he never asked —"
"I did ask. At the funeral for Ann and Patrick, I did ask you. We were interrupted by —" Snape paused. "By Lily. You didn't want to tell me when I asked you. Instead, you fled the country the next day."
"There was a war! I wanted to keep Peri, Hallie, and Holly protected. I had just lost my best friends, I wanted to be somewhere that I knew they would be safe. You were already ignoring her and continued to do so. She was safer there than here."
Fudge banged the gavel, "Order, please!"
"Sorry Minister," Cassie said bowing her head down.
Fudge scanned the room again before speaking, "We have some character witnesses here —"
It was best to move the court trial along before more arguing began. "Our first character witness is —" he looked down at his papers. "Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy. He will be speaking as a character witness for Professor Snape."
The door opened and in walked Draco, he proceeded up the aisle wearing his usual black suit with dragonhide shoes that clicked as he walked. He took a seat in an empty chair behind a podium that Peri had just taken notice of.
He stood there as an auror, who was to guard over the trial to ensure that everyone remained at peace. He approached the podium to present a brown leather book, that was the Wizarding world's idea of a no-maj's bible as it was the Book of Merlin, to Draco. Draco placed his hand on the Book of Merlin, "Do you Draco Lucius Malfoy swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
Draco nodded, "I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm I shall give the whole truth and nothing but."
He removed his hand and the auror removed the book stepping away and allowing the trial to continue as Fudge spoke, "Mr. Malfoy, you are a close relation to the daughter of Mrs. Banks and Professor Snape, correct?"
Draco nodded as he stared at the door where he had just come from, "I am…was…we are not as close as we were, but that is my fault."
"What was your relation to Miss. King?"
His gray-blue eyes shifted from the door to Peri, "We dated each other last year."
"What caused your relationship to end?"
He looked ahead at the door again, "She was in love with another."
Voices murmured throughout about Peri being a cheater.
Fudge allowed them to murmur as he continued asking Draco questions, "During your relationship did she ever mention her feelings about her biological father?"
Draco shrugged slightly, "Not much except she did not want a relationship with him. Then suddenly there was a point when she changed her mind, it was around Christmas she decided she wanted the relationship. She asked him to present her with her stepfather at her debutant ball on New Year's. At some point following her return from the third task her mind changed. We then were no longer speaking and I don't know the outcome following it."
"Do you know the Banks family well?"
"Not really. My parents are close to Mrs. Banks' parents and sister, and I am close to her cousin but the actual Banks family I am not close with. Hallie and Holly Porter are in my year at Hogwarts but —" Draco paused. He sighed softly before continuing, "We are not close."
Fudge nodded, "And how do you feel about Professor Snape?"
Draco looked at Snape and Dumbledore, "Professor Snape is my godfather, I think highly of him. I don't believe he would ever harm Peri."
"Very well. That is all."
Draco stepped down from the stand and went down the aisle, but instead of leaving, he went up a set of side stairs joining his parents at their seats.
"Our next character witness is —" Fudge read his paper. "Mr. Remus Lupin."
Remus stepped around from their desk to approach the front. The auror approached the podium and offered the Book of Merlin to Remus, "Do you Remus John Lupin swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
"I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm I shall give the whole truth and nothing but."
The auror removed the Book of Merlin as he stepped away Fudge began to ask questions, "Mr. Lupin, how long have you known Mrs. Banks?"
"Since our first year at Hogwarts, we met standing in line to be sorted. I had seen her on the train, but she had been sitting with her sister and Sirius Black."
"A long time then."
Remus nodded.
"Is Mrs. Banks the type to trick and hide information?"
Remus raised a brow, "Um…no. She has always been more independent, although she was a follower more as a child till our seventh year when she chose to step away from her parents. During our seventh year, she got a job in Hogsmeade during the evenings after classes and the weekends as a waitress, she was attempting to get her income to separate herself from them. There was a point when she stopped and suddenly she was back to her quiet self. I did not see her much after graduation till sometime after she was expecting Peri"
"What was her relationship with Professor Snape?"
"It was pleasant in school, but they did lose touch after graduation and her move did not help. Although he did attend her wedding to Richard."
The room murmured again.
Remus fidgeted with his hands, "What do you think of Mr. Banks?" the pink toad asked in her high, irritating voice.
He looked at the woman. He took a deep breath in before releasing it to say, "Richard is a kind man, he loves his wife and children that includes Peri. He would do anything and everything to ensure their protection. Their happiness comes before his own."
"A child needs their father do they not?"
"I never said they didn't. Children need love and protection, that does not matter who that comes from. Richard has always shown that to Peri, whereas Professor Snape did not continue in a relationship with Cassie or Peri. Even if he did not receive any letters the timeline of Peri's birth fell in the timeline of their brief relationship at Hogwarts. He could have reached out to Cassie, but he did not. He knew of Peri's existence, it was heavily reported in the Daily Prophet and he attended Cassie's wedding to Richard and Peri was there. Her existence was not hidden from him. All he had to do was ask."
The courtroom was silent as eyes fell on Peri and Snape.
"Were you aware of Miss. King's birth father before the Daily Prophet revealed it publically."
Remus remained silent looking at Cassie and then at Fudge, "I did. She told me when she moved to America. It was a shock but at that point, Peri's appearance was obvious who her birth father was. Her facial structure except for her nose is similar to Professor Snape's. The only features she shares with her mother are her nose, the darkness of her hair, and the texture of it. Her hair though could easily come from her birth father as well."
"That is all," Fudge said as Remus stepped down. He looked down at a set of papers before him, "Our next character witness will speak for both Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks, and Professor Snape. Professor Minerva McGonagall."
The door in the back of the courtroom opened and Professor McGonagall walked in wearing emerald green robes trimmed in golden braided trim. She took the same seat Draco and Remus had been seated in before her.
The auror approached the podium and offered the Book of Merlin to Professor McGonagall, "Do you Minerva McGonagall swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
Her hand resting on the leather cover, "I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm I shall give the whole truth and nothing but."
The auror removed the Book of Merlin as he stepped away Fudge began to ask questions, "Professor McGonagall, how do you know both Professor Snape and Mrs. Banks?" Fudge asked, even though it was an obvious answer.
Professor McGonagall gave a soft clear of her throat before answering, "I knew them both as previous students of mine. They were not in my house though, they were in Slytherin together with Professor Slughorn. Mrs. Banks though I knew more of as she spent quite a bit of time during her years at Hogwarts with students in my house and the others, as most know she was very close to Ann and Patrick Porter as well as Sirius Black. These friendships allowed her to have close friendships with Lily and James Potter and Remus Lupin."
"What about Perwinkle King? How do you know her?"
McGonagall's eyes fell on Peri, "She is in Professor Snape's house, Slytherin, but similar to her mother she spends equal time outside her house with other houses as well as those in her house. She is intelligent and is close to her family, she is highly protective of those she cares for."
"What is her relationship like with her parents? All three of them."
"Similar to most teenagers she pushes back on authority, but she respects Mr. and Mrs. Banks. All three tried to remove her last year from the Triwizard Tournament knowing the dangers of it. None of them, including Professor Snape wanted her harmed."
"And her relationship with Professor Snape?"
McGonagall was silent as she thought about her answer, "It is back and forth. She had no interest and treated him as if he were another professor until the announcement revealed her birth father's identity which I had believed until Mr. Lupin's statement that only Mrs. Banks and the late Mrs. Porter knew of otherwise it was only assumptions of her birth father. Obvious assumptions, but no actual evidence of knowing who unless the birth certificate was shown or Mrs. Banks' revealed it, which the birth certificate was released to public view last year by Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet. To my knowledge though, Miss. King had no interest in a relationship with Professor Snape."
The courtroom remained cold and silent as Fudge cleared his throat, "That will be all Professor McGonagall."
Professor McGonagall stepped down and reached an empty seat amongst those watching. All eyes watched Fudge as he scanned the papers before him. As he read the pink toad spoke up, "I believe we have finished the character witnesses, we should speak with the child."
Peri was fiddling with the hem of her sleeve when she heard this. Her head shot up. The entire courtroom watched her.
"Yes." Fudge agreed, "Miss. King, will you come to the stand?"
She stood up from behind the desk and then crossed to the lower podium where she stood. The auror approached her at the platform and offered the Book of Merlin to her, "Do you Periwinkle Elizabeth King swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
Peri's hand felt the cold leather cover of the book under her sweaty palm, "I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm I shall give the whole truth and nothing but."
The auror removed the Book of Merlin as he stepped away Fudge began to ask questions, "Periwinkle —"
"Peri," she cut him off.
He looked up from his papers at her, "Excuse me."
"I go by Peri."
Cassie released an exasperated sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Peri —" Fudge began. "Can you tell me about your mother?"
Peri looked at Cassie, "She is my mother. I love my mom, I wouldn't trade her for anything. Was originally not thrilled about moving to England, because although I was born here it is not a home to me. My home is in New York City."
"What about your father?"
"Which father? I got two fathers, one who simply gave me the ability to exist or one who raised me."
"Both."
Peri flipped her dark curls over her shoulder, "Richard, my papa, has raised me since I was two years old. He did not have to but he did. He met my mom on the sidewalk outside the Magical Congress of the United States temporary living conditions for those transferred to work with them. He was on his way to his penthouse when he spotted my mother struggling to get to our apartment with luggage and three young children. He offered to help and never left. Tell me would any of you stay around after helping a young single mother with not just one child but three girls."
The courtroom was silent with eyes glancing around the room.
"My papa raised me. He is my father, he could have continued walking down the street ignoring my mom struggling. Or he could have helped her and never pursued anything further than helping her. He did not. He was fully aware she had children but chose her and us despite being the most eligible bachelor of his time. He could have picked anyone but he chose us. A young witch who had been publicly disowned for having a child, but he chose us."
She scanned the room as it remained quiet she continued.
"As for my birth father, I associate him more with someone who gave me life. Everyone can claim my mom tricked him, perhaps she did since I was born under a fertility potion but you can also have a one-night stand and create a baby just as easily. My mom did at one point love my birth father and was set to have his child with him and build a life together, but as it has been stated he ignored my existence. Either the letters that he may or may not have received, the papers that published my birth, or even when he attended my mother's wedding. He had many options to put the pieces together and discover he was my father, but he never did. My family is happy. I am happy in my family. I find this trial to be an entire waste of time because no one before today asked my opinion on what I wanted."
"What is it you want?" Fudge asked as Peir leaned back in her chair.
Her dark eyes fell on Snape then looked briefly at her mom before looking up Fudge, "I don't want this. I want to know my father on my terms not because I am told to know him."
"You need to know your father," the pink toad said. "Children need both parents."
Peri's eyes shifted to the pink toad, "Then tell that to my sisters, Hallie and Holly Porter. They lost both parents and are being raised by my mom and papa because their parents were killed. They do not have both parents. Tell Harry Potter that because he surely does not have both. Say those words to every child who lost one or both parents in the war that they need both of their parents. Our family is created by love, not blood. Blood does not make a family but love does."
Fudge jotted some things down onto some parchment before him before speaking, "Thank you, Miss. King. That is all you may rejoin your mother and stepfather."
Peri stood from the podium and crossed the floor to sit with her parents as Fudge continued speaking, "Mrs. Banks."
Cassie stood up and crossed to the podium with her heels clicking as she walked. She straightened her skirt underneath her as she sat down, the auror approached her giving a bow of his head before presenting the Book of Merlin, "Do you Cassandra Elizabeth Banks swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
Her hand rested against the leather as her blue eyes looked at the man before her, "I do."
The auror gave another bow of his head before withdrawing and the questions began, "You presented evidence before the trial of you sending the letters throughout the first year of your daughter's life?"
"Not entirely. I sent them during my pregnancy and shortly after her birth, it came to be about a year length of informing him but it was not a year of her life being born."
"And the memory that was shown did you trick Professor Snape?" the pink toad asked.
Cassie's blue eyes moved from Fudge briefly to her husband and daughter before going to the pink toad, "We did sleep together, yes and that was consensual. He did not turn me away as the memory showed. I did not tell him though that I was currently under a fertility potion because I wanted to have a baby. We did not use any type of protection so the chances of conceiving a child were high even without the potion. Once I discovered myself expecting I informed him right away which the memories I provide show I did. As I mentioned before I do not if he received them or if the owl got lost. After a year of attempting contact, I gave up. I did take Peri out of the country without her father's consent but he did not claim to her so other than a piece of paper stating she was his there was no real claim to her. If he cared for her then he would have respected what I did because it was best for her safety."
No more questions were asked and Cassie returned to her husband's side, Peri could see her mother was shaking after she was seated of course she never showed it while she was giving her testimony.
Snape was called up next. The auror as before approached him asking him the same sentence as he had asked the others, "Do you Professor Severus Tobias Snape swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
In his usual monotone voice, he answered, "I do."
The pink toad asked, "Did you ever receive the letters from Mrs. Banks?"
"I did."
Voices murmured throughout.
"And you did not answer?" Fudge asked, questioning.
Snape's dark eyes narrowed on Peri, "No. The letters I received but only opened the first where I was informed of the pregnancy. I assumed at first it was simply a letter asking how my summer was but when I learned it was Cassie informing me of her expecting our child I refused to open any more. The letters to this day remain in a box in my spare bedroom."
"Did you ever consider being a part of her life before now?" the pink toad asked.
He gave a stiffened nod, "I did. The spare bedroom I converted into a bedroom for an infant. The room remains the same."
Voices whispered around shocked at this, even Cassie and Remus appeared shocked at this statement.
"Why did you not find Mrs. Banks and sue for custody then or attempt to work things out then?"
"I did not think I should be a father, until now. Now I am getting to know Peri and I want to have a chance to know her. Her mother and stepfather do not seem to agree with creating a custody agreement privately which is why we are here today to have the court create one for us."
"That is all. Thank you, Professor," Fudge said as Snape stood up and stepped down. He had his long black robes trailing behind him as he took a seat. Fudge looked down at his papers, "And our final testimony before we come to our conclusion. Mr. Banks, will you please come forward?"
Richard squeezed Cassie's hand and then moved to the podium, the auror reapproached giving a lower bow of his head before presenting the Book of Merlin to him, "Do you Richard John Banks, Heir of Merlin, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to this Honorable Court?"
"I do."
The Book of Merlin was removed.
The pink toad gave her high pitched cough to clear her throat, "Mr. Banks, why did you choose to help your wife that day you met her on the streets of New York City."
Richard sat up straight, "It is rather simple. I was walking home from work I enjoyed walking more than apparating because I could stop at a no-maj cafe for dinner and enjoy the night air. On my way back I saw a Congress car dropping off a young lady and three small children. I noticed her struggling so I went over and helped her. She was reluctant I could see but she eventually agreed to let me help. The rest of the story everyone knows."
"Were you aware of the scandal your wife caused here?"
This seemed to irritate Richard, "That did not bother me, but I had heard about it. At the time of meeting her, I was not aware it was her who it was about. Regardless it does not matter to me because I love my wife. And not sure how this concerned the custody trial at hand."
"Why would you choose a woman who has children?"
Richard appeared more aggravated by this question, which seemed to please the pink toad greatly.
"As I have spoken publicly many times on this I love my wife and our daughters, but sure a single mother was never on my radar to become my wife. I got to know her and her girls, who I found I could not imagine seeing my life without them. I could have walked away and married anyone else but I chose my wife and I chose those three girls to raise together. I have made it a mission of mine to never treat them any differently. Peri may not have my blood in her veins but she is my daughter."
"But she is not yours. She is your stepdaughter you have no…"
Richard stood up from his seat, "I was waiting till Peri turned seventeen to make this announcement but before everyone here I will announce that the line of Merlin will change. I keep saying Peri is my daughter but other than that those are words. The line of Merlin goes from eldest child to eldest child. My daughter Peri is my eldest child. I have spoken with my lawyers and have changed the order of succession. Peri will be my heir."
The room gasped as Peri sat there stunned, Richard changed centuries-old tradition to prove to the world she was his and this trial was not going to change that. He stepped down and returned to them.
"You changed the line?" Peri asked after he was seated while Fudge attempted to calm the purebloods in the back of the courtroom who were not pleased by this.
Richard looked at her with his green eyes, "You are my daughter it is far time I showed that. You are the eldest child, you deserve to be shown that. I am over the world telling me I do not love any of you because you do not have my blood. Making you my heir to the Merlin line tells the world you mean everything to me. That I see you equal to your sisters."
This was never something Peri wanted. She never wanted to be placed on display but now Richard had changed the line of succession. A fate she never planned to receive, she was now the future of the Merlin line. She now would have the entire wizarding world looking at her similar to how it was during the Triwiazard Tournament but now it would be for the rest of her life.
Her hands felt cold and clammy. The room was buzzing with commotion as Fudge tried to regain by banging his gavel, "Order! Please! Ladies and Gentlemen, please! We will have order in this courtroom!"
The courtroom slowly settled down, "We have come to a conclusion," Fudge spoke scanning the room as everyone returned to their seats.
Everything grew quiet as all eyes were watching Fudge, "We have decided that Professor Snape will have custody of Miss. King during the school year until her seventeenth birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Banks will have custody of her during the Christmas holiday and the remainder of the summer."
The sound of the gavel rang out through the courtroom.
"What?" Cassie gasped. "Richard…"
Richard stood up, "Fudge, this is entirely unfair. He is already her potions professor he will already see her the entire school year."
Fudge nodded as he gathered his things, "Exactly. He is closer in proximity to assist her if needed. She is sixteen not six, she really does not need someone watching over her. The decision is final, Mr. Banks."
The courtroom slowly emptied Cassie pulled Peri close to her as they stepped out with cameras flashing as they left, "Cassie! Cassie! How are you feeling about the Minister's decision?"
"Peri, how do you feel about having a relationship with your father."
"Peri, how do you feel about being named heiress to the Merlin line."
Cassie and Richard spoke not a word as they pulled Peri down a hall to the apparition point. As they walked Remus and Tonks stood near them to guard them, "I simply cannot believe this," her mother shook her head.
They passed a dark door as they walked, Peri looked over at it where she heard eerie voices from it, "Mom? Papa? What is that?"
Richard looked over at the door, "That is the Department of Mysteries. It contains mostly prophecies, Hallie would enjoy the room. I think they are mostly nonsense, but some believe them heavily."
Cassie shuddered at the door, "Can we just go, please? I have basically lost my child to a man who never wanted her but suddenly she is important to the Dark Lord and she is of value to him."
"Severus is a spy for them," Remus whispered looking around them as they were thankfully now alone as other Aurors that had been on the floor stopped the press from following them. "If he cares for which we hope he does especially now then I am sure he would not throw her to him. She has seven months before her birthday after that she is free of him. She can make her own decisions until then she has to be cautious."
They reached the apparition point, but the voices inside the Department of Mysteries were calling to Peri. She wanted to investigate instead she was apparated back to Twelve Grimmauld Place.
