"The healers have cleared Crouch for trial."
Sirius settled back in the chair in front of Madam Bones' desk, sipping at his tea. He had known this was coming. He had, after all, been visiting the man every couple of days with Moody and, a few times, Snape. He recalled the short time they had been side-by-side in Azkaban, their cells only separated by a wall, but they had been able to speak well enough with each other by sitting where the bars of their cell and the separating wall met. A few times, they had even reached through their bars to hold hands, the feeling of another person doing much to ground them especially after a dementor had come through.
He could recall Barty's words to him, telling him that he had not hurt Frank and Alice, how he had not been questioned only dragged before his own father for sentencing alongside the Lestranges. Several cells down Bellatrix could sometimes be heard cackling. He could remember, very vaguely, the visit of the Crouches just a few days before Barty hard "died". He recalled hearing Barty begging, but had been unable to make out his words, and then his friend had gone silent and refused to talk to him.
Then he'd died.
But now he knew the truth and it horrified him on a level that even Azkaban and dementors didn't. Because Barty Crouch Sr. wasn't a monster one read about in a Care of Magical Creatures of Defense textbook. No, he was a monster that lurked in sunny places, the kind that looked and acted like every other good person in the world. The kind you never knew about until they got caught. If they ever got caught.
"I can only hope the Wizengamot have strong stomachs," Sirius settled on saying. He looked over at Axel Lawrence whom he had hired to represent Barty. Axel was an excellent lawyer and seemed to relish in the challenges Sirius brought before him. Certainly, his law practice had never been so busy or so popular.
"I've got copies of the healer's tests," Axel said, handing over several pieces of parchment to Madam Bones. "Mr. Barty is more than willing to testify under Veritaserum. As you can see, St. Mungo's has tested him for allergies and immunity against the potion. He has neither, and therefore, should be able to take it."
Amelia adjusted her monocle to read the parchments, nodding as she did so.
"Excellent," she said. "I was hoping this would be the case. We have set the court date for two weeks from now. The only opposition we've had is from Lady Longbottom and her brother."
"Understandable," Axel said. "Augusta was changed after discovering her son and daughter-in-law like that. A trial just drags up old memories and traumas, but it will, hopefully, bring healing for the truth to be revealed."
Sirius set his tea down.
"While all this is well and good, I doubt you called us here to just talk about Barty," he said. Madam Bone smirked at him.
"No," she replied. "But that's the excuse we'll give if anyone asks am I right?"
Sirius grinned.
"So, this is about Harry and Cedric," he said.
"I think it's clear that Minister Fudge is going to put his head in the sand over this," Madam Bone stated. "I've already gotten orders from high above keeping my people from being able to even investigate Potter and Diggory's claims. Quite frankly, gentlemen, it is ridiculous. Whether or not Voldemort did return the night of the Third Task, something did happen and under normal circumstances, Minister Fudge would have no problems letting me run my department in the way I see fit. However, I've noticed Abraxas Malfoy talking to him lately. And his little undersecretary."
"How does Abraxas Malfoy still have so much sway?" Sirius cried. Axel and Amelia both rubbed their fingers together in the universal gesture of money. Sirius sighed unhappily.
"I've also discovered through my own network," Amelia continued, "that Abraxas is leaning heavily on Fudge's fears that Dumbledore is vying for his position as Minister of Magic."
"That's codswallop!" Axel cried. "Anyone with any sense will know that Dumbledore's already got one of the most powerful positions – two actually – in the world! Not only is he Chief Warlock of the British Wizengamot, he is the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards! Why would he want to be Minister when his tenure as ICW representative and Mugwump isn't up for another four years?"
"Axel, in order for people to understand that they'd actually need common sense and the ability to think logically," Sirius argued. "I'm starting to think Hogwarts ought to add a core subject called Logic. Muggle schools have the class, you know."
"Interesting," Axel murmured. "A part of the bar exam is logic, but one usually doesn't study it until after Hogwarts, and only if one is going to enter the law profession."
"I've a question Sirius," Amelia continued, bringing the men back to task. "Do you believe that Harry and Cedric saw the resurrection He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named?"
"I do," Sirius answered. "I've no doubt in my mind that what they have told me is the truth."
Amelia nodded, falling silent for a moment as she thought over Sirius' words.
"Is there," she said, "by any chance, a possibility of Dumbledore reforming his little group of "concerned citizens" from the first war?"
"He's already begun," Sirius answered, a bit heated. "After you all stormed out, he tried to send me and Remus off as if we could just drop everything like we used to and go on missions for him. He was actually surprised when we said no, Harry was our first priority."
Amelia sighed.
"Very good," she said. "Well . . . not good. I don't like vigilantes. But I know that during the last war people couldn't always rely on the aurors and so had to take matters into their own hands. I also know Dumbledore likes to playthings close to his chest, and if the Dark Lord is back, we cannot keep information to ourselves when we are working towards the same goal."
"You want me to be an informant to you?" Sirius asked.
"Not you necessarily. Two of my aurors have already been approached to Dumbledore. He doesn't know that I know. I'll be sending them in to keep me informed."
Sirius shrugged.
"Sounds good to me," he said. "In all honesty, I'm a bit torn about getting involved again. Dumbledore left me to rot in Azkaban and then he left Harry to rot at the Dursleys. There's so much Remus and I have to catch up on this summer. Did you know he didn't have any medical records between the ages of one and eleven? Remus and I thought the records were lost but it's been a wild goose chase. The Dursleys never took him to the doctors."
"Doesn't he wear glasses?" Axel asked.
"Remus took him the past summer," Sirius said. "Eye records are kept separate. So, this summer we're going to have to take him in for a medical exam. In depth."
"Good luck," Axel said. "And if you ever want to bring the Dursleys into court . . ."
"Let's wait to see what the exam says," Sirius suggested. "Harry's been through a lot already."
Teddy Lawrence slid into a chair in front of Percy's desk, earning a side eye from the Interim Head.
"What do you want?" Percy asked, signing off on a report and slipping it into the OUT box on his desk.
"Lunch," Terry stated. "It's nearing noon and dad' holed up with Lord Black and Madam Bones and I'm quite bored."
"Doubt it," Percy teased, putting his quill in its holder. "But lunch sounds amazing." The two of them slipped down to the canteen. Teddy picked up a Daily Prophet on their way to the table and they spread it out between the two of them as they munched on their lunches. Much of the headlines were now focused on the upcoming, and long overdue, trial of Barty Crouch Jr.
"Tell me, Percy," Teddy said, "what your opinion of Harry and Cedric's story is."
Percy took several minutes to think over his answer.
"Both Harry and Cedric are honest," Percy said. "I haven't been able to speak to either of them. I'm hoping to at least be able to talk to Harry this summer, but—"
"Ehem."
Teddy and Percy looked up, neither of them hiding the startle they received at having someone interrupt their conversation. Minister Fudge's undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, stood next to their table, her usual simpering smile plastered on her face. Today she wore a pink one-piece dress that flared just a smidge from her waist to her calves and wore matching heels.
"How can we help you, Madam Umbridge?" Teddy asked. Percy side-eyed Teddy even as the simpering look on Umbridge's face tightened. Everyone at the ministry knew that you did not address Minster Fudge's undersecretary as Madam Umbridge but as Undersecretary Umbridge. Percy, during his first week at the ministry, had had the unfortunate opportunity to witness her tell off a poor cleaner from the Maintenance Department for forgetting to address her appropriately. And Arthur never had anything good to say about Umbridge, and his dad could usually find something good to say about anyone barring Abraxas Malfoy and Voldemort.
"It's Undersecretary Umbridge, Mr. Lawrence," Umbridge corrected, her voice light and sweet enough to poison the blood. "And I could not help but overhear you asking about Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory."
"So, you were eavesdropping on a private conversation," Teddy said. Percy wondered how he could signal to Teddy that he may be signing his own death warrant. "Mr. Weasley and I were speaking in quiet tones, and we are at least two tables away from our nearest coworkers." Teddy gestured around the canteen where the other workers were desperately trying to appear as if they weren't watching and listening now that the tone of conversation had risen.
"I simply wish to know why you two are discussing such persons?"
"Well, you see Madam Umbridge, colleagues, acquaintances, and friends all tend to have conversations about current events. As Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory are former school mates of ours, it only makes sense that we would discuss them. Why, we've been discussing them all year! Why haven't you sought to question us before?"
Umbridge's smile was so sharp Percy thought it could cut through stone.
"I only worry that your conversation may turn to events in which they say happened, but never did."
"Ah, so you have spoken to them then?" Teddy asked.
"I don't need to speak to them to know the truth."
"I'm sure that's wat Crouch Sr. thought when he sentenced two men to Azkaban without trial," Teddy said. Now the smile dropped from Umbridge's face. The people around them were now whispering to each other. Percy just wanted to finish his sandwich.
"But I find your insinuation interesting," Teddy continued, as if he were not causing anxiety in the hearts of everyone watching. "Now, you are certainly allowed to have you own opinion, just as I am allowed to have mine, but I find it difficult to come to a good opinion about the situation due to the Minister's efforts to stop any sort of investigation from taking place."
"An investigation would frighten the people," Umbridge said.
"Or it could calm the people," Teddy countered. "Either way the Minister is just starting to look petty. Does he truly feely threatened by two teenage boys?"
"Well . . . perhaps all the blame cannot be placed on the shoulders of the two impressionable boys," Umbridge said, the smile coming back to her face. "I have head terrible things about one particular Muggleborn student, and Aria Bourne. Lord Malfoy—"
"Feels threatened by a fourteen-year-old witch," Teddy interrupted even as Percy felt a sudden desire to draw his wand on the undersecretary. "I'm not sure the unhinged feelings of a man who was sent to Azkaban two years ago and has made a laughingstock of Britain on an international scale is someone you want to get your opinions from, Madam Umbridge."
Multiple people laughed. The smile disappeared from Umbridge's face again. She turned to Percy.
"The Minister would like to see you at one o'clock in his office, Mr. Weasley," she said, finally getting to the point of why she had probably sought them out in the beginning. "To discuss the possibility of you becoming his Junior Undersecretary. Miss Boswold recently resigned to stay home with her children."
More likely because she couldn't stand you, Percy thought as he nodded. Umbridge spun on her heel and walked away, her shoes clicking angrily against the floor. Immediately Teddy and Percy put their heads closer to each other to whisper while Teddy put up a Privacy Ward.
"You know Minister Fudge will want to use you to try and spy on your family and Dumbledore," Teddy said.
"I'm not an idiot, Lawrence," Percy retorted. "But it's still a promotion and a good looking one at that and I can use that, especially since I was debating whether or not I wanted to put in my application to be the Head of the Department of International Cooperation. On top of that, I could even use this to keep tabs on Fudge . . . give you and your dad and Lord Black a heads up on what he's doing."
"Not Dumbledore?" Teddy asked, clearly surprised.
"Not Dumbledore," Percy repeated. Teddy leaned back in his chair.
"Should've been a Slytherin like your sister," he finally said with a smirk.
"The hat did think about it," Percy admitted, "but I didn't want to be any more different from my siblings as I already clearly was."
Teddy lifted his tea in Percy's honor, a growing smirk on his face.
"Junior Undersecretary Weasley," Teddy said, rolling the title off his tongue. "I do like the sound of it. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"