Chapter 11. The Trial of the Wizengamot
The fact that Faraday had taken on the crucial task of discovering the recipe for the Sorcerer's Stone did not ease Harry's burden at all. The trial of Markus Dolokhov by the Wizengamot to determine whether he should be imprisoned in Azkaban was just around the corner. Because of this, Harry was forced to work in his underground office as summer approached and colorful flowers bloomed in the fields and mountains outside.
"So you want him to serve ten years in Azkaban?" Hermione asked in amazement when she heard Harry's account of the trial. "I don't think you can imprison him for that long based on past precedent . . . despite his illegal actions, he didn't kidnap Ollivander himself that night."
"I think we should make an example of him this time," said Harry sternly. "You failed to enforce the Wands Act because of the Gringotts incident, but I'd have supported your law if someone had asked me now. We've been too soft on criminals."
"Well, that makes sense. Still, ten years in Azkaban seems pretty harsh . . ."
"That hasn't been confirmed yet. In any case, I'll talk to Markus about his sentence and put some pressure on him," said Harry. "Albus also mentioned in his letters that Markus is becoming more and more popular with the Slytherins. We have to make sure that there's a price to pay for following the wrong ideas."
"I always thought the Death Eater ideas ended with Voldemort. I can't believe they're gaining support now," said Hermione darkly. "Does Markus have any chance of winning the favor of the Wizengamot?"
"That's why you and I have to take charge of his trial," said Harry. "Even though the anti-Muggle movement is on the rise, many still believe and follow what we say. We can easily get the Wizengamot to vote our way."
"I see, Harry," Hermione said, signing the papers Harry had brought with him. "This process is yours."
Feeling lighter, Harry walked down the corridor and entered the lift. Inside were two young witches and a middle-aged wizard. None of them even pretended to know Harry when he appeared, just exchanged meaningful glances. Harry saw each of them grab their left wrists as the lift descended, and when he disembarked at his level, he felt a heavy heart again. His determination to remove Eisenbein's influence from the magical world had grown stronger than ever.
Harry carried the papers Hermione had just signed straight to Markus Dolohov's interrogation room, and Teddy was dozing in the chair next to the iron gate when Harry's footsteps woke him.
"Harry, what do you have to do with this thug?" Teddy asked, yawning.
"I'm asking the Wizengamot to decide whether Markus should serve ten years in Azkaban, and I'm here to deliver the news," Harry said, shaking the papers.
"Good! He'll come to his senses now," said Teddy happily. "My only regret is that there are no more dementors in Azkaban."
"Teddy, go find Edmund. To prevent the prisoner from escaping, I must ask someone I trust to watch over him until the trial is over."
"Are you saying I'm untrustworthy?" Teddy's face and hair instantly turned bright red as he said angrily.
"Clean your mouth of drool first. . . . Seeing how deeply you slept, a troll dancing a ballet wouldn't have woken you up," said Harry. When Teddy was gone, he opened the thick iron door of the interrogation room and went inside. He took a seat and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark room, lit only by a single candle. Despite his emaciated appearance, Markus still had a sneering smile on his face and an upright posture. His bright, sharp eyes and protruding cheekbones made him look even tougher than before.
"Here he is at last — our greatest hero. . . . I've been waiting for you," said Markus casually.
"You must have expected more attention from me. My position does not allow me to spend much time on petty thieves."
"But you still think that such a thief deserves ten years in prison."
"How the hell did you —" The shock on Harry's face wore off quickly, but his heart was beating faster.
"Let's just say some little birds bring me the news." Markus smiled his characteristic cold grin. "The Martyr, the Awakened One, the Defender of Traditions — those are the names they call me up there. Do you feel the world changing around you, Mr. Potter?"
"There is no change in the nature of our world — evil will never triumph in the end. The dark dreams of your master, Eisenbein, are in vain."
"If you say so. . . . What brought you here anyway?"
"As you know, the Minister has approved your ten-year sentence. If the Wizengamot's verdict is positive, you will be sent to Azkaban right away." Harry waved the papers he had brought in front of Markus's face. "However, I think it is a social waste to let a youth rot in prison, no matter how twisted your thoughts may be. So I came to offer you a deal."
"Go on — I'm intrigued," said Markus idly, crossing his arms.
"You may be familiar with the case of Lucius Malfoy: He had committed crimes incomparable to yours, but was granted leniency in exchange for an Unbreakable Vow to help apprehend his formal colleagues. As soon as you swear to help catch Eisenbein instead of following him, I'll immediately cancel your sentence."
"Is that what you want me to do — become a traitor? Azkaban sounds better — I'm used to it." Markus lifted the chains that bound his hands and there was a loud rattle. "Even the dementors aren't there anymore . . . it looks like a place worth visiting. But that's not going to happen."
"Do not count on your companions to save you."
"Don't you remember what I told you? I have no intention of escaping from this place illegally. I'm going to walk on my own and find freedom."
"We'll see if that's the case. Fortunately, the Wizengamot's trial is this week, so we won't have to wait too long," Harry said as he folded the papers and tucked them into his robes. "You'll be worse off next week. Azkaban is still a cold, unhappy place, with or without the dementors."
"All right. Just a word of advice, Mr. Potter — don't be conceited." Markus's sunken eyes shone brighter in the candlelight as he leaned forward. "Pride brought down even the Dark Lord . . . and the same goes for you."
Walking down the corridor, Harry thought about Markus's words. Despite the cunning young man's inexplicable confidence, Harry knew he could not lose the trial, for Harry Potter was a name that wizards and witches around the world considered heroic. The sound of footsteps in the distance caught Harry's attention just as he reached the Auor Headquarters, lost in thought. The small sound would otherwise have gone unnoticed, but it suggested a secret movement. When he leaned against the wall and listened again, Harry realized that the footsteps were coming from the side of the interrogation room he had just been in.
The iron door was about to close when Harry returned to the interrogation room. Instinctively, Harry pulled the flesh-colored thread from his inside pocket and tossed the end through the crack in the door. Clinging to the wall, Harry unfastened his Extendable Ears and carried them to the distant hallway, hoping that no one in the room would notice him. When he put the other end of the string to his ear, he could hear a clear voice, as if it were a face-to-face conversation.
"Markus, you were right! Those sneaky Squibs are trying to enslave us. . . . In no time, pureblood wizards will be performing tricks at magic shows to entertain Muggles," said Baddock's voice.
"Only if we youths fail to act," Markus said in a relaxed tone. "Eisenbein could fix all that. His power is equal to that of the Dark Lord, and his knowledge is superior to that of Harry Potter or the Mudblood Minister. Eventually, Eisenbein and his followers will rule the world and stand above all others. It's good to see you on the right side before it's too late, Baddok."
"Still, I have a concern. . . . The Dawn Breakers include Muggles and Squibs, you say. What if such underlings try to get ahead of us, like they are doing in the Ministry of Magic these days?"
Harry's ears were deafened by a cold laugh echoing off the walls of the room. When the laughter stopped, Markus said, "Eisenbein thinks of them as mere tools . . . even the Dark Lord's could not match his desire to cleanse this world. Eisenbein told me in secret, Baddock — when the time comes, he'll wipe out all Muggles."
"All Muggles? You mean — all of them?"
"All of them," said Markus confidently. "That's what he plans to do."
Hearing the unimaginably horrible plot, Harry lost all the strength in his body. In slow motion, Harry slipped off the wall he was leaning against and sat down. His arm, holding the Extendable Ears, fell to the ground, moving helplessly and limply like a piece of rubber glued on by force.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Potter?" Edmund's voice brought him to his senses. When Harry looked up, Teddy and Edmund were looking down at him worriedly.
Harry showed them the Extendable Ears still in his hands and said, "Baddock has been compromised. Get him out of the room now."
Together, Edmund and Teddy opened the iron door and dragged Baddock out. He was confused at first, but understood what was going on when he saw the flesh-colored string in Harry's hand.
"Look — a rat was listening," said Baddock, and then he stumbled back as Teddy punched him in the face.
"Keep talking! You are the rat who betrayed us!" exclaimed Teddy, his voice raised in anger.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry raised his wand and shouted, and Baddock's wand flew into his hand. He broke the wand in two and threw it to the ground. "If there had been a rule to punish you only with words and not with actions, you would have been imprisoned with Markus Dolohov. Unfortunately, the Wand Act has not been passed, so there is no basis for that. . . . I'll expel you from the Auror Headquarters and prevent you from entering the Ministry of Magic for an indefinite period of time."
"Whatever! It's a hell of a lot better than being made a fool of by Squibs," Baddock said contemptuously, rubbing his bruised face and spitting blood on the floor. "Eisenbein will be with me when I return!"
In a fit of rage, Teddy punched Baddock's face harder than before, causing him to collapse and pass out. Teddy roared, "That's not enough — time to get rid of all the Slytherins!"
"Don't say such things!" said Edmund hotly, stepping forward. "My House still has many good people!"
"Oh, yeah? Then why the hell do all these Dark wizards always turn out to be from Slytherin? How long do we have to put up with your villainy?"
Edmund took out his wand and pointed it at Teddy. "That isn't me. Apologize right now!"
"Now you're showing your true colors! You're just like every other Slytherin . . . you were just pretending to be good," Teddy said, also pointing his wand at Edmund.
"Stop — both of you! Put down your wands!" shouted Harry.
"My patience has run out, Mr. Potter. I can't do that until Lupin apologizes."
"Then let's see how this ends!" yelled Teddy.
They both let out curses almost at the same time, but Harry was quicker. His Disarming Spell blew away Edmund's wand, and then Teddy's curse sent Edmund crashing into a wall in the hallway. When Teddy was lowering his wand, he looked both triumphant and guilty. Edmund's hand was smeared with blood as he touched the back of his head, which had just hit the wall. He looked very hurt and just quietly stared at Harry.
"I-I just . . ." Harry murmured. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. No words of apology came out of his mouth as he was in an extremely foul mood and secretly sympathized with Teddy's perspective on Slytherins. "Enough of this. Edmund, go see the Healer. Teddy, get Baddock out of my sight."
Without making eye contact with Harry, Edmund stood up, picked up his wand and walked away. Somehow, Harry thought that Edmund Slughorn's sad, disappointed face would stay with him for a long time.
Hermione led the way, with Harry and the rest of the Wizengamot following her down the stone steps. They were all wearing plum-colored robes with a silver W embroidered on the left breast, their faces solemn. Unlike the rest of the upper levels, there were no windows or ornamentation down here, like a dungeon, lit only by torches in brackets occasionally placed along the rough stone walls. They finally stopped in front of the last grimy dark door, having passed through several heavy wooden doors. Hermione pulled out a huge rusty key and unlocked the door herself. A cold metallic sound echoed through the narrow corridor as the huge iron lock fell to the stone floor.
The first time Harry had entered this courtroom, he had been a defendant. Harry still vividly remembered the tension in his spine and the cold air of the courtroom he had felt during his trial, brought on by his attempt to save Dudley from the dementors. However, now that he was back here as an interrogator rather than an accused, he wasn't so carefree. Hearing about Eisenbein's plan to massacre the Muggles had added to Harry's emotional burden, but he had yet to tell anyone about it. It would only cause unnecessary panic and make it even more difficult to apprehend Eisenbein without a shred of evidence. However, Eisenbein would lose at least some of his influence if Markus were locked up in Azkaban today.
The door opened to reveal a courtroom with dark stone walls, dimly lit by torches. Harry walked with Hermione and the other members of the Wizengamot between the benches on either side, then climbed the stairs to the highest seats opposite the entrance. Hermione sat in the middle of the front row, with Harry to her left. The Wizengamot members sat lost in thought, leafing through the documents in front of them. The door opened again, breaking the uncomfortable silence. The buzzing newcomers were spectators who came to watch the trial. With the wizards and witches in the audience wearing colorful robes, the drab courtroom seemed to become a little brighter.
As Harry struggled to concentrate on the paper he was reading, he looked at the faces of the onlookers. They were chatting or reading the Daily Prophet with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. Rita Skeeter, sitting in the front row in magenta robes, stood out from the crowd. Though her characteristic blonde hair was now half-white with age, she sucked on the end of her acid-green quill and gazed up at the Wizengamot with still sharp eyes.
When all the seats were taken, the latecomers began to crowd against the walls next to and behind the benches. It was then that Markus Dolohov entered through another small door in the corner. Teddy and another Auror stood next to him, holding chains to bind him and wands pointed at the prisoner. Teddy frowned at Markus, not hiding his disgust. But the mood in the audience was different: Although some kept their faces expressionless or glared at Markus, more people than expected smiled at him or even clapped lightly. While his usual treatment of Harry had been to sneer at him, Markus now held his head high with a solemn and sad expression. Markus was then tied to a chained chair on the dungeon floor by the Aurors. Markus looked at the Wizengamot above him with clear eyes, his expression remaining the same.
"Markus Dolohov — you have been brought before the Wizengamot so that we can pass sentence on you for your alleged crime of kidnapping and attempted robbery," Hermione explained. "Interrogator: Hermione Jean Granger, Minister of Magic; Harry James Potter, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Could you please elaborate on the charges against the accused, Mr. Potter?"
"Certainly, Madam." Harry took the parchment from the pile in front of him, adjusting his glasses. "The accused's charges are as follows: Despite publicly supporting pureblood supremacy and receiving written warnings, the accused disregarded them and participated in a deplorable plot to kidnap Mr. Garrick Ollivander from Diagon Alley on February twenty-third. At the direction of an unidentified Dark wizard known as Eisenbein, the accused attempted to rob Mr. Ollivander's shop and then lured the Aurors away from the scene. As a result, one civilian and three Aurors, including Susan Bones, who were in the Leaky Cauldron's drawing room, were injured. In addition, the defendant's actions contributed significantly to the abduction of Mr. Ollivander." After a moment's hesitation, Harry raised his head and continued, "In this case, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement seeks a ten-year sentence in Azkaban for the defendant."
The audience roared in unison as the ten-year sentence came out of his mouth, and Rita Skeeter began scribbling something on parchment very quickly, which Harry took as a bad sign.
"You are Markus Dolohov, are you not?" asked Hermione calmly.
"Yes, my late father named me that," said Markus clearly.
"And do you admit to the charges Mr. Potter mentioned earlier?"
"Yes, I admit to all these charges."
There was a moment of silence in the courtroom, then it was broken by a murmur of words that spread like an enormous wave. Despite being a little surprised, Harry continued without showing any emotion, "Do you accept the punishment demanded by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, if so?"
"I do not. The accusations against me were made in self-defense, and I therefore maintain my innocence."
Markus's words were met with a roar from the audience, and Hermione had to raise her voice to be heard. "In my opinion, the terrorist acts committed by an illegal pure-blood supremacist group known as the Dawn Breakers do not fall under the category of self-defense. However, the Wizengamot will allow the accused to speak, as he has not called a specific witness and has the right to defend himself."
"All of you, dear wizards and witches gathered here in this courtroom, are witnesses to what is going on — that is why I have not called any additional witnesses," said Markus softly. "I think both the observers and the Wizengamot are aware of how deeply Muggle culture has penetrated our world compared to twenty years ago. Muggles no longer make innocent and ignorant victims. Various machines they have built are dissolving the longstanding traditions of the Wizarding world, cutting off communication between the old and new generations even as we speak. For the past thousand years, our ancestors have guarded a way of life that continues to this day, but now the forces that threaten it are not Dark wizards, but Muggles, who have become more influential than ever."
The audience nodded or whispered in agreement as Markus finished his speech.
"Very well — but I would just like to point out one thing. During the last war, the Death Eaters discriminated and even tortured and killed people on the basis of their ancestry, using the same excuses you just mentioned as longstanding traditions," said Harry. "It is true that in recent years the Muggle-invented smartphones have spread throughout our world. However, similar situations have occurred in the past. Ottaline Gambol, the Minister of Magic in the early nineteenth century, had introduced the Hogwarts Express using the Muggle railway technology, and more recently, magical radios have become popular throughout the Wizarding community. Nevertheless, we live in a prosperous and peaceful world today. Therefore, it is your group and you, in my opinion, who are responsible for creating unfounded fears about Muggles and alienating them from us."
"I would like to begin by correcting your assertion that we Dawn Breakers are no different from the Death Eaters," said Markus. "The Death Eaters attempted to rule over the public, suppressing common wizards and witches in the process. The Dawn Breakers, however, are fundamentally different. As humble vigilantes, we have only one goal in mind: To usher in a brighter, newer future for our world."
"Does the accused deny that his group has embraced pure-blood supremacy?" asked Hermione, her voice trembling slightly. "Are you saying that you, born into an ancient Wizarding family, do not consider yourself superior to those who are not?"
"No. I do not consider myself superior in any way," Markus said quietly, and the courtroom fell silent again. "But I do believe that there are some things that we pure-blood wizards can do better than those who are not."
"Isn't that another term for pure-blood supremacy, no matter how well refined?" said Harry, trying to calm his anger. He felt sick at the utter hypocrisy of the man who only a few days ago had talked of slaughtering every Muggle in the world.
"The concept of pure-blood supremacy, devised by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, has received considerable support in the past. However, there was a fundamental flaw in the Death Eaters' ideas: That is, they were unaware of the obligations that came with the rights they claimed from their noble blood," said Markus. "Our organization is different: Our duties take precedence over our rights. And we Dawn Breakers believe that pure-blood wizards are superior to others in some ways, especially in understanding and respecting tradition. Therefore, we believe that Mr. Kingsley and Madam Granger's decision to revoke our privileges should be reversed and pure-bloods should be allowed to regain control of the Ministry."
"Are you openly stating that Muggle-borns should not be running the Ministry of Magic?" asked Hermione, her face flushing with anger.
"Yes, that's right. And you — Madam Granger — have shown us all why such a thing should not happen."
When this blatant provocation was heard, the court roared as if there had been a small explosion. There were loud arguments and even fights among the spectators on the benches.
"Silence! I ask you to be quiet in the courtroom!" Hermione banged her gavel a few times to no avail, and only after several Aurors had used the Tongue-Tying Curse on the loudest people, the place finally quieted down.
"Madam Granger — when you were in charge of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, you introduced many laws extending the rights of house-elves, did you not?" said Markus rather sharply. "I have heard that you are still obsessed with this issue, even now that you have become Minister."
"While the remarks do not seem to pertain to this trial, I believe that improving the rights of house-elves is essential."
"But have the house-elves ever stood up for their rights?" said Markus pointedly. "Do you really care about them, or are you just making these claims to appear philanthropic?"
Harry secretly signaled to Hermione, who seemed to be losing her temper, not to answer.
"The Wizengamot will expunge your unjust accusations against the Minister. Personally, I am not sure that being kind to other creatures is such a grave mistake." A few of Harry's ardent supporters on the benches below him and in the Wizengamot laughed at his words. However, more than half of those present were still focusing their attention on Markus with serious expressions.
"That, in my opinion, is your mistake,"said Markus gravely. "The fact that we wizards care more about others than defending our own rights has made us easy prey. Muggles robbed Gringotts of our property in broad daylight just a few weeks ago! I have also heard that a certain Squib, who was brought in to fix the problem, is moving around the Ministry of Magic at will. It seems that this chain of events is part of a larger plot to undermine the power of our people . . . "
Markus ended his speech with meaningful glances at Harry and Hermione, and many in the audience seemed to sympathize with him, and some even applauded.
"Here are some suggestions I would like to make: Restore the pro-pureblood laws and allow more old families to rule selflessly in the Ministry of Magic to protect our world. If the members of the Wizengamot vote for my innocence and show their willingness to judge the present regime, they will be doing a service not only to me, but to the magical world itself."
The benches below erupted in loud applause and cheers. It was time for Harry to face the inconvenient truth he had ignored for so long. There was no doubt in his mind that Eisenbein had conspired to rob the Ministry vault, but behind the scenes, the conspiracy theory that Harry and Hermione were in league with Muggles against Wizardkind had already gained a wide following. His insides churned at the harsh reality that the applauding people no longer saw him as a hero, but as a traitor to his kind. He turned his head to find Hermione with the same somber expression.
With a mixture of fear and hope, Harry let the members of the Wizengamot argue and discuss for some time before he asked aloud, "Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?"
One by one, the Wizengamot members raised their hands. The force that gripped Harry's heart grew even stronger as he deftly counted the hands. He was shocked to discover that more than half the hands were in the air before he had even finished the count.
"And those who are for conviction?" asked Harry in a hoarse voice, and the rest of the hands went up. Even though they raised their hands in an upright and confident manner to show their support for Harry, they weren't as many as before.
"Thank you for sharing your thoughts," Hermione said with a hint of frustration. "The accused have been cleared of all charges."
As if the morning's events weren't enough to make this one of the worst days of Harry's life, there was more misfortune to come. He returned to the Auror's office clutching a pile of crumpled papers, half angry, half resigned, to find almost half of his Aurors waiting for him. Most of them were Slytherins, holding rolled parchment in their hands.
"What's all this about?" said Harry in an annoyed tone.
"We want to resign." Bulstrode held out his parchment with a sneer. "We've got better job offers."
"Arrest them all, Harry!" shouted Teddy furiously, standing at their side. "They're definitely going to Eisenbein!"
"We can't talk about the details of our new jobs," said Bulstrode, still sneering. "Anyway, at least Squibs won't interfere with us there."
He then placed his resignation on the wad of parchment in Harry's arms and walked away, followed by the other Aurors from Slytherin House, who almost threw theirs away and walked past him with muffled laughter. Harry just stood there in disbelief, speechless. It had felt like a nightmare from the moment Markus had leisurely walked out of the courtroom, free and unchained. However, Harry was forced to accept that it was a harsh reality when all the retired Aurors left and he saw the half-empty, desolate office: Almost all the Slytherins and a few purebloods from other Houses had left.
"What did I tell you? Didn't I tell you not to trust Slytherins?" snapped Teddy.
Then a thin man stood up from one of the cubicles. Edmund Slughorn approached them and said, "If Teddy Lupin doesn't apologize to me right now, I'm leaving with them."
Suddenly, Harry's anger, which had been building up over the past few months, burst like a dam. "Then go, you two-faced bastard!" In a fit of rage, Harry threw the parchments he was holding onto the floor. "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ME? I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU SLYTHERIN SNAKES!"
Shocked at first, Edmund returned to his desk, scribbled something on a piece of parchment and came back. Silently, he placed his resignation on the pile of parchment at Harry's feet and left the office. Harry immediately regretted what he had just impulsively said, but he knew it wouldn't win back his most trusted Auror. Fighting the strong urge to magically burn all the resignations, Harry walked into his office and slammed the door.