Please send good vibes for my mom. She's going into surgery right now.
"Can you believe it?"
"Of course, not!"
"The Devil-"
"Vile!"
"Liar!"
"-Lucifer himself!"
For such a small attendance, the room was surprisingly loud as the recess commenced. Harry stood awkwardly from the bench, trying to edge closer to the end.
"Madness." Sirius practically breathed the word as he spoke it.
Harry turned to glance back at him. Part of him wants to hold tight to Sirius, to reassure him that he's alright and that all these revelations are nothing to worry about. That said, he can't. Not after seeing two cloaked figures surround the chair of the Accused. The bonds around the chair were released. Then new ones tightened around Melly's wrists as she stood from the chair. Ted approached, and a brief exchange passed with one of the cloaked figures. Then all four of them walked towards the exit.
"Hold up!"
Harry pushed to follow, but it was George who spoke out to the group. He, George, and Fred all ran close to them. Melly was the first to stop. Turning to regard them in a cool curiosity that made Harry immediately realize she still hasn't regained control.
"Stay back," one of the cloak figures spoke. Their voice was odd, Harry found. Though he couldn't put his finger on it as to why.
Ignoring the speaker, George addressed Lucifer. "You're not making her go to Hell, are you?!"
The demon king didn't answer him. He only stared at George with amusement. A look that had George stumbling. "I mean- you know what they say about deals with the devil, and all that. But that's not fair! Not when she's been trying to help people!"
"...You're speaking in her Defence?"
George drew himself up in offense. "Of course!"
Lucifer smiled, an expression sharp and warm, and oddly fitting with Melly's features. "Adversity tests the sincerity of friends," he said quietly. Then he continued at a normal volume. "Alas, a person's placement at death is out of my jurisdiction. For better or worse."
One of the cloaked figures cut in. "Time is short."
"Very well." He turned back to George. "Regardless of death, she is lucky to have you in life."
Another turn, and the group of four walked out of the courtroom. Leaving the three boys in confused silence.
The group returned just in time for the session to resume. Having that time to regain his composure, Mister Doyle flounced back to his oily charisma as if nothing was amiss. Now acting as if he believed Lucifer's true self, he directly asked the demon if he is teaching Melly dark magic, and if she shows any interest in dark magic in general. Both claims were refuted, though it led to a segue Harry didn't expect.
"Yet she has access to- and has used- one of Salazar Slytherin's own grimoires, has she not?"
"She does. As I said, it's how she reached out to me."
"And she's used no other spells in the book, to your knowledge?"
"She has used the book in other ways, but not for any dark spells."
"Does she speak parseltongue?"
There was a slight pause before he answered. "She's learning it."
"Learning it?"
"When you find a bilingual grimoire, it takes a good deal of study to understand the full contents."
"But Miss Bennett does speak the language, yes?"
"To a degree."
"And the book has given her secret knowledge from Salazar Slytherin, correct?"
There came another pause. Though the silence was brief when Lucifer exclaimed. "Ah! Fascinating!" He moved in a failed effort to lean forward. "You know you're in a losing battle so you want to implicate her as the Heir of Slytherin."
That idea confused Harry. Others in the room muttered at the declaration. Doyle himself appeared ruffled and annoyed by them. "Your presumptions about this trial aside, you must realize that it's an odd coincidence that Miss Bennett, who is on trial for the murder and assault of several students, was also in possession of Slytherin's grimoire when another student was attacked earlier in the school year under claims it was done by the Heir of Slytherin."
"It is an awkward series of events, and not entirely a coincidence, either. That said, in comparison to who is actually responsible for that attack, blaming it on Melissa of all people is astoundingly ironic."
Harry knew what the next question would be. Though he wasn't at all happy to have it happen. "Are you saying you know who the Heir of Slytherin is?"
"Of course. Though, bare in mind, the details are complex. The first step of the attack was executed last summer, at the bookshop where Gilderoy Lockhart was doing a book-signing." The tale began to weave. One half-remembered by Harry in a second-hand tale of when Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley had a row at the shop. With the added detail of a special book planted in Ginny's cauldron. What's so special about a book? Why, it's a horcrux! Entrusted to Lucius Malfoy by Voldemort himself!
Gasps and screams echoed about the room. Doyle went red and tried to derail the story, but Lucifer was having none of it and continued on, ignoring the law-wizard's protest all the while. Telling the audience about how "the diary offered sweet and comforting words to the naive child." Tricking her into opening her heart and mind to him. An act which, in a parallel twist of fate, meant that two students have been victims of possession this year.
"This is a distraction! This has NOTHING to do with the trial!" Doyle shouted at the witness.
"Au contraire, Mister Doyle!" Lucifer snarled gleefully at the man. "Haven't you wondered how Cipher learned to make a horcrux? A magic of human creation?" He laughed loudly, the sound punctuated by his chains. "You pathetic, blind creatures can't see the evils of your own design. He didn't know how to perform the ritual. It's soul magic! Human magic. He needed the formula, and Tom Riddle's diary was exactly the resource he needed!"
Under his breath, Harry prayed "No!" as the witness continued.
"It was so easy, too. Barely had to lift a finger to get what he wanted. It was Potter who found the diary. Stole it off of the Weasley girl when he realized that it was one of Tom Riddle's possessions, and delivered it right to Melissa's hands. She's destroyed others before, why would this be any different? But, no, Bill Cipher interfered before she had the chance. I saw his memories, right alongside the visions Cipher hid about the diary and the attacks. He offered to spare the horcrux from death in exchange for the recipe of horcrux creation. So, when you think about it; if it hadn't been for Lucius Malfoy, none of these attacks would have happened and the children would have lived!"
The realization filled Harry with horror. If he hadn't given her the book, if he had gone straight to Caireen instead…
On the trial floor Doyle blustered. "You're- you're twisting this trial into a spectacle! We deal in facts, Miss Bennett. Everything you're claiming is speculation!"
"Is it, though?" He purred. Then, loudly, he called out to the defence. "Mister Tonks, I believe you have evidence to verify this fact, do you not?"
"Yes," Ted answered slowly. "Though it's intended to be discussed during Miss Bennett's testimony."
"Ah, my apologies," Lucifer replied, his tone gleefully unapologetic.
Eyeing the two with disdain, Doyle growled. "Why wait? Let's see this so-called evidence you're withholding from the court!"
"I'm hardly withholding it," Mister Tonks replied. Despite his claim, he gave something of a strained sigh as he pulled a box from his briefcase. With a wave of his wand and a muttered spell, the box opened. Carefully, as if afraid to touch it, he lifted the box forward to the middle of the room. "I have here the diary and horcrux of Tom Marvolo Riddle."
The announcement made Harry jump. Turning to the bench he half-whispered "You didn't destroy it?!" to Mister Salvatore.
The man responded with quieter discretion. "I could not. We'll discuss this later."
Back at the trial, another voice spoke. "May I test the contents?" Distracted as he was, Harry took a moment to realize it was Dumbledore making the request.
"If the court accepts it," Ted replied. With little discussion, the request was approved of, with the addition of one of the cloaked figures also casting spells on the item.
"This book is radiating dark magic," the cloaked figure commented.
"Indeed," Said Dumbledore. He picked up the book and flipped through. "Curious. It does say to be the property of Tom Riddle, yet the inside is almost entirely blank."
"You have to write in it," Lucifer replied to the half-question. "The ink will vanish and Riddle's horcrux responds back to you."
Doyle spoke. "We have to test it to be sure."
"Naturally. Though Dumbledore should not be the one to do so. After all, the boy has hated you practically since the first day you met."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "You seem quite assured with that statement." Lucifer gave no reply. "Very well. Good wizard, if you'd please?"
He passed the book over to the cloaked figure, who then summoned ink and a quill from Doyle's desk. The figure made a complicated motion with their wand. Above them a large image of blank pages shimmered into existence. They then wrote in the book, the inked message appearing on the screen-like projection.
Hello! Is this Ginny's diary? The one that talks back to you?
The ink disappeared. Then a rumble of ink morphed on the page. Yes, I am. Is Ginny alright? It's been so long. I've been worried about her.
She's been upset ever since you went missing. Lucky I found you! For some reason you were left in the Forbidden Forest, of all places!
That is strange. Can you bring me back to Ginny?
Of course! I'll give you to her when her class is over. I'm Abigail Farley, by the way. What's your name?
My name is Tom Riddle.
At this point, Dumbledore, the law wizards, and even the judges began demanding questions of the diary. Questions about Voldemort, questions about the attack on Halloween (both recent and in 1981, strangely), and questions to confirm the veracity of the book belonging to Tom Riddle (based on his time at Hogwarts). The cloaked figure (Abigail?) navigated the questions with a childlike whimsy mixed with vicious cunning. The way everything was being written, a part of Harry read it as if it really was being written by a first year girl in Ravenclaw. (An idea which was extra confusing, as he recognized Abigail Farley as one of Luna's tormenters.)
The questions seemed to go on for ages. The trial itself went half-forgotten in the process. By the time the fervour ended (with strict instructions from Dumbledore to have the book placed under thick security for the time being), the rest of the witness questioning was treated like a boring class on the eve of lunch hour. Doyle impatiently finished up his interrogation. Thus allowing Melly to once more take control of her own body.
Though it wasn't her turn yet to speak. Ted re-summoned Harry to the witness stand to confirm his side of the story. Harry had to be careful. Explaining why he had his suspicions of Ginny without putting Melly's innocence in jeopardy wasn't an easy task. Mentioning her confusion over not knowing the diary seemed to help. Though the real danger came when he talked about why he knew about horcruxes in the first place. Retelling the story without any mention of Caireen or the Chamber.
"HOLD ON A SECOND!" Melly shouted. "YOU HEARD ALL THAT?!"
"ORDER!"
Harry smirked at her. "You were pretty focused on the locket. You didn't notice me at all."
She threw her head back with a groan. "Ugh! Son of a-"
"ORDER!"
"Alright! Alright. I'm sorry," she muttered petulantly. "Won't happen again."
"It had best not!"
Fortunately there wasn't much else to tell, so Harry's renewed time on the stand ended soon after that. Taking the opportunity, Mister Tonks used both testimonies to chip away at Doyle's plan to add Creevey's attack to the list of offences. "Naturally we can't implicate anyone for that crime during this trial" (The ominous warning came easy for all to understand. A few purebloods squirmed uncomfortably as they realized the implications of what may come.) With that threat left hanging, the law-wizards moved on to the minor witnesses of Professors McGonagall, Lockhart, Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey. Their testimonies added little to the whole processings, only confirming what people already knew. This resulted in the day dragging on by the time it was Melly's turn to speak.
To be fair, even her testimony felt tedious along with the others. Her story either repeated what they already knew, or her memory had blank spots surrounding the events. That said, each law-wizard seemed to extend their focus to character profiles. For Tonks- it was to show Melly's mercy and compassion towards the victims, her friendship with the Weasleys, her generosity on valentine's day, that sort of thing. For Doyle- it was the bloodthirstiness of revenge and the devious deals with demons. The first claim was laughable. The second claim, even Melly was willing to admit the stupidity of it all.
"You have to understand, I was trapped in a classroom with Quirrell and You-Know-Who three times a week. I did my best to keep Harry safe from him, but all it would take is one slip up to make me- and what I've seen of the future- unsafe. I- I got desperate. Stupid. I didn't know what else to do so I did the only thing I could think of."
Doyle scoffed. "You had no options? Really? You couldn't alert the aurors or Dumbledore that You-Know-Who was inside Hogwarts?"
It was a good question. Harry himself has been wondering the same thing since Melly's letter. He leaned forward, curiosity piqued, to hear the answer.
Almost too quietly, she answered. "When I was younger, I thought I could use my sight for good. I saw a glimpse of Harry's future, mixed it in with what he told me about his life, and decided to mess with fate. Why not? He's my friend. Why shouldn't I try to change things for the better? A few small changes won't hurt anyone, right? …And then Vernon broke Harry's arm- and his rib- and covered his body with bruises day after week after month." Her tongue clicked. "With an outcome like that I had to wonder 'were the changes really that small?' 'It definitely wasn't harmless.' So if small changes can cause that much damage, what happens if I do something bigger? Say, reveal Quirrelmort a year in advance. What'll be the damage then?"
"Quirrelmort?" He heard one of the twins snort with quiet laughter.
"So you claim that doing nothing was the best course of action?"
"Absolutely."
"Then what of Sirius Black?"
"...What about him?"
"According to your little demon friend, Black's freedom was your doing. Do you deny it?"
The question was followed by an awkward quiet. Melly, for lack of words, was squirming and whining in the seat. An action Harry is well familiar with, from every time she stubs a toe and has to stop from swearing in front of Maggie.
"I…" The word strangled out of her, "am handling the repercussions."
"Oh really?" he answered dully. "How so?"
Tonks chose to butt in. "Objection. This line of questioning is straying from the matter at hand."
"Quite right," the head judge answered. "Objection sustained."
Well that's ominous. Harry thought to himself. Sirius caught his eye, silently asking the same question. Unfortunately, Harry could only shrug and watch the rest of the interrogation. When it finished, and the law-wizards made their final statements, one of the judges called for a recess to deliberate on the matter.
During the recess, those in attendance shifted about the room in muttered conversation. Sirius went over to Salvatore, no doubt shaken from everything revealed that day. Harry gravitated over to the twins. All three hoped to talk to Melly, but a guard blocked their path to the Accused's chair. Annoying as that was, there was the small respite that at least the recess didn't last too long. It must have been twenty minutes tops by the time the Wizengamot returned.
"Before the judgement is called, we must acknowledge the unique challenges faced by this court. Both the defence and plaintiff parties are underaged. Furthermore, the alternative suggestion, that this tragedy was wrought by a being beyond our world, is as fantastical as it is… compelling. As are the reasons such creatures have been permitted into our world.
"Therefore it is with great deliberation, that we find Melissa Bennett not guilty on charges of torture, dismemberment, and murder."
YES!
Harry grinned widely. His heart leapt then found a sigh of relief at the news. Sounds of cheers and angry cries went about the room.
"HOWEVER!" The judge's voice rang above the cacophony, and the voices quieted down. "For her part in bringing this monstrous creature into our world, and in deadly reach of our children, we find Miss Bennett guilty of demon association."
"Hold on. That's a real crime?" Harry asked.
Sirius, too, looked confused. "It must be some archaic law from the old days. Who knows, with the Ministry?"
Harry's thoughts rolled the notion in his head, so much so that he almost missed what was said.
"-it is decided that Miss Bennett will serve a sentence of three months in Azkaban."
"They can't be serious!" He looked over at his godfather. The man's face looked as if he were about to be sick. "They can't get away with this!"
"I… I'm sorry, pup. There's not anything we can do."
The gavel struck.
Harry pushed out of his seat, only to be held back by Sirius. "Let go! We've got to stop them!"
"Harry, no!" Arms wrapped around him. Harry's face pushed against Sirius' chest as he squirmed and fought against his godfather. He cried in protest, but Sirius refused to let him go. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." The words repeated several times over. The words and tears started to wear on Harry. His struggling slowed to a stop. Only then did Sirius release the tight hold on him.
Slowly, to not get caught again, Harry looked out to his friend. Hoping to offer whatever support he could. Only, she wasn't in the chair anymore.
She was gone.
Commentary
I know what you're thinking. "She can't go to Azkaban! This is crazy! Why would you do this?!" I know, I know. I really wasn't planning on punishing her. But while writing this chapter I found myself frustrated with the idea. Why SHOULD someone go free after all this destruction? Teenagers were tortured, maimed, murdered, or rendered soulless. Possession or not, how can someone get away with that? (especially purebloods is a classist society) So, I've decided (in the eyes of the law) to let justice be served. But also make it into an exercise of how to twist tragedy back into fluff. This ought to be interesting. Don't you think?
