Chapter 30: Deposition

Jasper found it hard not to jump at the auror when they apparated in a windowless cell, only Carlisle's hand on his shoulder and his calmness he could rely on hold him back. The seconds ticked by slowly before a woman opened the gate and the two wizards guided them through the corridors. They left these dark corridors as they climbed to the upper floors for austere ones with tiny openings to the outside. Jasper tried to block out his horrible memories by concentrating on those of moments shared with Harry.

The group entered a rectangular, medium-sized room with large windows on the left-hand wall. A large table, positioned along the right-hand wall, was laden with closed files with symbols on their covers. Seven men, including a redhead whom Jasper guessed to be Percy and Master Kangae, stood in front of the table. Two chairs were set up facing each other in the center of the room, with a dozen more stacked in a corner.

The men, all dressed in suits, turned towards them and stood still. Despite the pleasant atmosphere of the room, Jasper couldn't get past the distrustful feelings of this group and relax. Only Percy and the Master of Legilimency were not on their guard and came to shake their hands.

"It'll be alright." whispered Percy so low to Jasper when he shook his hand that only the vampires heard him.

He then turned to a man waiting to be introduced.

"Master O'Murray, he will assist and represent you throughout the proceedings. He'll make sure your rights are respected and that you understand the ins and outs of the procedure."

"Pleased to meet you." replied Carlisle, extending his hand to the man.

Jasper also shook his hand, but said nothing, being annoyed by the missing information he noticed. He had a feeling he was going to be asked for a lot more than just his memories.

"Gentlemen, may I have a word with my client in private before we begin?"

The lawyer's request reassured Jasper, who nevertheless held back Carlisle when he initiated the movement to follow the wizards. His control was slim and memories invaded his mind, he preferred his foster father to stay with him in case his condition prevented him from fully understanding O'Murray's words.

"Mr. Williamson," the lawyer called out to him before he left the room. "I don't believe Mr. Hale is under arrest."

Without a word, the auror returned and removed the handcuffs from Jasper's wrists, glaring at O'Murray. Carlisle struggled to suppress a wry smile, and his mimicry combined with his satisfaction did the empath good. Once the three men were alone, the wizard drew a chair to him with a flick of his wand and cast a confidentiality spell over the room, they sat down and he began the conversation.

"Mr. Hale, please know that my goal is that your attackers pay for their crimes and that you emerge from this trial a free man."

"Thank you," Jasper replied, sensing the man's sincerity and confidence.

"Do you think there's any risk of that not happening?" asked Carlisle, concerned.

"If you can provide evidence of the torture you've endured over the years and by each of these men, I'm sure I can get them convicted."

"But not that I go out a free man?"

"Mr. Hale, once we've studied your file a little, we realize that you're the Death Eater who claimed hundreds and hundreds of victims during the first war against You-Know-Who. If Mr. Potter hadn't put him out of action the night he tried to kill him, you'd have won the war for him. If I were the lawyer against you, I'd use that. Death Eater trials are often rushed and based on public opinion. If you ever get that mass murderer image, you could end up in Azkaban or at the stake."

Neither vampire knew this place the lawyer was talking about, but they didn't need to in order to understand the threat. Jasper began to wonder what his chances really were of ever regaining his freedom.

"I didn't choose to attack those wizards," he said in a calm voice despite all that was churning inside him.

"The important thing is to prove it. But today, we're not going to focus on that, I must first see if the memories already gathered from your time under His sway are usable in front of the mangemagot and sufficient. No, first we need to find the memories that will enable us to convict your attackers without you losing control. A loss of control would be used to say that you're a danger to our society and lock you up."

"It's going to be difficult, my control is slim when I immerse myself in these memories."

"And that's understandable, but opposing lawyers will do everything they can to discredit you. Expect them to try to turn the press against you, which must never happen. Your relationship with Mr. Potter must remain a secret."

"Why?" interjected Carlisle. "Harry is a hero to your world, so why shouldn't Harry's support for Jasper help him?"

"Because of his power, people may think that Mr. Hale is manipulating Mr. Potter's emotions. You have to understand that vampires are seen more as shadow creatures by wizards, tolerated in our society because they feed at the blood bank. Muggle vampires are seen as savages who kill honest people to survive, who are uncontrollable and dangerous."

"The public might not like to see their savior with someone like me."

The Texan didn't know how he felt about this observation, but he also knew that now was not the time to worry about it.

"That's right. For the procedure, today and in the coming days the aurors will show you photos and you will have to provide them with memories in which they are identifiable, any distinctive sign will do. Given the length of the list, this stage is likely to be lengthy. Don't hesitate to ask for breaks if you feel your control is slipping. Master Kangae is there to certify that your memories are original and have not been tampered with. Once they have all the proof they need, you can add anything else you feel is relevant. You'll then have to wait a few days to a few weeks, while the aurors make the arrests and the accused prepare their defense. Then comes the trial, which I think would be in our favor if it were open to the public, but the defense may ask for it to be held behind closed doors. We'll see about that in due course. You must be prepared for your memories to be shown to everyone during the sessions, and for the trial to last several days or even weeks. If the defense ever manages to turn the tables on you, you'll be tried at the same time and sentenced at the same time as the condemned."

The two vampires remained silent. All was clear.

"If you don't have any questions, I'll call the aurors again."

"Are they going to handcuff me again?"

"Yes, they're afraid you'll lose control. I understand you don't like it, but if it can assure us that you won't kill anyone if you lose control, all the better."

Jasper nodded, he didn't like it, but would do anything he could not to provide his detractors with sticks to beat him with.

O'Murray got up and went to open the door, which gave the two vampires time to talk amongst themselves, low enough that no one could hear them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sick, but in control...for now."

"Want some blood?"

"Not just yet."

Jasper knew Carlisle would do everything he could to keep the situation from getting out of hand. The only person he was afraid of was himself, his vampire. He didn't want to die or go back to a cell, and they knew the wizards wouldn't hesitate to do so if they considered him a threat. He watched the aurors, Percy and Kangae return apprehensively. He nodded when Williamson asked if he was ready and if they could close the handcuffs on his wrists. Two silver rings protruded from the armrests of his chair and immobilized his hands. He felt a current run through him and realized that this was the spell that prevented him from using his power on others. His body tensed and he signaled to Carlisle that he needed a few seconds before starting.