If you like what you see and what more, please drop a few power stones, or leave a comment, and a nice review would mean the world to me!
Also you can find advance chapters, commission art, and more bonus content on my Pa/ treon page at https://www.pa /treon.com/Mark_Ward Your support would go a long way in helping a small time author, thanks!
-------------------------------------
"NOOOO," Augustus Rookwood shouted as he was dragged out screaming. He tried to put up a good fight as he resisted like a trapped animal, but he really couldn't do anything as he was wrapped up in cloth and unable to move his hands.
All the Aurors had to do to shut him up was put the muzzle back on him as he was dragged out, and the image of them disappeared.
Harry was really worried by the spy's last few words, it raised a lot of alarms in his head.
More than anything he would have loved to get Augustus Rookwood testimony started like yesterday. He wouldn't even mind delaying Sirius's trial, and the man himself would have wanted this Earls and high ranking Death Eaters locked up more than his freedom and the clearance of his name.
Harry tried to say those exact words, but when he looked at the head of the Wizengamot he knew that would not be happening. Augusta's eyes were locked ahead as he saw those same images of vitriol and retaliation he held for only one person, the killer of his parents, Voldermort.
That same anger and hate could be felt off of her as it came in waves.
Nothing he said or did would take her off this war path she was on.
And Harry could understand, her revenge for what happened to her son and daughter in law was so close that she could taste.
If he was in that same position, and had Voldermort where he wanted to exact his revenge he knew there was also nothing someone could do or say to stop him or even slow him from taking his revenge.
"Ram," Harry whispered, left with no choice Harry knew he had to act.
Leaning in, the pink-haired maid replied, "Yes, Master," with all the civility and decorum of a proper servant. In private she might act up, but when in public she more than her own dutiful little sister was the most dedicated and faithful.
"Send word," Harry said, "I want the Magic Task Force activated. Find me where Augustus Rookwood is being held up in, and have the agents protect him at all cost. I want him to live through tonight, and stand trial no matter what! Understood?!"
"Yes, Master," the maid bowed her head as stepped off to the side and give the right call on her own Mirror Phone.
Nodding his head, Harry repositioned himself on his chair, he did all he could do for now. Activating the Magic Task force that the Queen let him use would be showing his hand too soon, but sometimes risks needed to be taken to get the much bigger rewards.
Now everything was in the hands of Magic.
Turning to the center of the chamber, in walked in three individuals together all chained up and dressed in Azkaban garb with plenty of Aurors to either side and a few Dementors brought along as well.
This was the first that a group came in together, before it was one person at a time as each of their crimes were reviewed individually. But it looked like Augusta Longbottom had them all gathered up together and saved them for last.
Looking at them each in turn, Harry's eyes landed on the man in the center of the small group. Rodolphus Lestrange was a pure-blood wizard born to the Pure-blood Lestrange Family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
Rodolphus was a tall man, with very dark hair, and after being in Azkaban, he appeared gaunt and his looks diminished a bit.
Rodolphus of course attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was sorted into Slytherin house. Later in life he joined the Death Eaters and fought in the Wizarding War. The Lestranges were considered to be among Lord Voldemort's most loyal and trusted servants and were the only ones who truly searched for him after his downfall.
When Voldemort was said to be defeated, Rodolphus refused to accept it.
Along with his brother, wife, and Barty Crouch Jnr, they attacked Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members Alice and Frank Longbottom. They tortured the couple with the Cruciatus Curse to the point of insanity, and were subsequently captured and imprisoned in Azkaban prison for this crime. Upon their trial, he and his friends proudly declared their continuing devotion and awaited their master's return.
For their gull, complete lack of care for authority, and their crimes of torturing and permanent incapacitation of Alice and Frank Longbottom, they was only sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.
As you can guess, Madam Longbottom was of course furious and rightly so with the light punishment they got off on.
On the left was his half brother, the bastard of House Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange. He was a thin man with a dirty beard growing in. He was like his brother's shadow as he stepped in behind him.
On the right was Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, the eldest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black, cousin of Regulus and Sirius Black, and the elder sister of Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy.
She was fanatically loyal to Lord Voldemort and was among the most dangerous and sadistic of his followers. And it was said that she was his right hand man or woman in this case and his most trusted servant if that psychopath could trust anyone.
There was a remarkable resemblance between Bellatrix and her sisters. At first glance, Harry mistook her for Andromeda Tonks, only upon closer observation did he notice the differences. She was a tall woman of white skin; and long, thick, shiny dark hair. Her face had a strong jaw, thin lips, and heavily-lidded grey eyes with long eyelashes.
She really looked gorgeous and even after spending long years in Azkaban, nothing took away from her beauty.
But looking at her eyes, Harry could see the insanity in them.
That was the effect of Dark magic.
Most magics are Neutral magic or Grey Magic as it really doesn't draw from anything but your power alone.
However magic like Dark or Light; they draw from very specific emotions that align with them.
For example, Battle Magic which was the main magic of his family fell into the Red Magic group, where he predominantly drew from anger or bloodlust.
If a Wizard isn't Strong of Will and have Control of his Emotions, he or she becomes like Bellatrix, the other Death Eater, and their ilk. You become nothing but a driving force for your magic as you are molding to only feel one type of thing whether it be hate, or anger, or lust, and so forth.
That is why a True Wizard; is one that is in control of himself and his magic.
Not the other way around!
Give in and all you might get was a small boost in power, but in the end you will become nothing more than a tool.
"Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Bellatrix Lestrange; you come here today before this court facing reconsideration about your punishment," the court crier called out.
They were unmuzzled so they could be allowed to speak since this was after all a humane process!
"You stand here on the account of 475 Second Degree Murders of Muggles, 97 First Degree Murders of Muggles, 19 Rapes, 34 Kidnappings, 15 Robberies, 28 Arsons, Aggravated Assaults, Hate Crimes, Conspiracy to bring down this State...." and the list just went on.
This time Madam Longbottom let the man go on as he listed all their gruesome crimes in perfect details. Everyone was made to listen and the full scope of their crimes was laid bare.
Finally when the court criers got to the list of crimes against wizards and witches, after all wizarding-kind lives were more than those paltry 572 muggles or more, a lot killed and tortured and had so many unspeakable things done to.
The man spoke of two people, "Your attack on Alice and Frank Longbottom as you tortured them with the one of the Unforgivable Curses, which has been made highly illegal, the Cruciatus Curse, to the point of insanity."
Harry could feel the old woman stir as if she was a slumbering beast made awake.
Finally at long last, the court crier whose face was ashen grey at the point asked, "Do you have any words you would like to say to the court at."
"Heheehe," a deep chuckle came from down below. Everyone turned to Bellatrix who was madly cackling in her chair. Once she had everyone clear and undivided attention, she spoke up, "You think you are all safe so high and mighty above us? That you think that my MASTER dark hands would not reach out to you. That he wouldn't Choke and Throttle everyone of you where you stand."
Harry watched as Narcissa shook her head, and he even saw a look of disgust pass through Bellatrix's cousin's face, Amaryllis Mort. The woman was truly far too gone as she had gone completely broke.
"Shut up, Bellatrix," Rodolphus growled to his wife, and then muttered under his breath, "your mad ravings get tedious at times!"
Bellatrix growled back at her supposed husbands and it was clear she wanted to jump at him and rip him to shreds. It was clear there was no love lost between the two individuals, their marriage was after all a thing of convenience, not something build upon love or mutual understanding.
Ignoring her, the old Head of House Lestrange looked up to face Madam Longbottom. Unlike the other Azkaban prisoners who either had gone broke or just raving mad after years in that hell hole, Rodolphus still retained some of his sharpness.
"I see that you are the new Chief Warlock. Did that old bastard finally croak?" he asked with a rasping chuckle.
"If I were you, I wouldn't worry about Dumbledore, but instead about yourself," the old woman whispered.
"Yes, going to exact your sweet revenge," the man drawled as he glanced at the Dementors.
Saying nothing, the elderly witch just simply stared at him while a peep didn't even leave her lip. Harry wondered what was going on behind those eyes, maybe images of the day she got the news her son and daughter-in-law were all but gone, or memories of them when they were alive and well and happy.
"I shall tell you," the man continued with an insufferable smile on his face, "Your son's last few moments... they were just exquisite. You should have been there, hahaha," he laughed nastily. "You should have been there as he called for his mommy... as he called for you like a little baby as he balled his eyes out.
Never thought a grown man could cry like a little baby," he whispered as he gazed up at Madam Longbottom seated in her throne like chair.
Silence greeted him as Augusta was still as a statue, not saying a word.
"Is that all you have to say, huh?" the Death Eater shouted as his face contorted once he saw he didn't get the reaction he was looking for. "Going to remain silent all day. Did you die in your chair old woman."
"Are those your last words," Madam Longbottom finally spoke up, "because if so I have come to my decision! Administer the Dementor's Kiss!" she called out.
All three criminals spoke up at once as the Dementor prowled over to them like starving animals, today those dark creatures had a feast unlike anything else before.
"You will rue the day, you messed with our family!" Rabastan Lestrange roared as if that meant anything since that line would be over today.
"Our dark master will avenge us," Bellatrix screamed out as she stared at everyone with her insane eyes trying to take them all in as if she was going to remember each and every single one of them before she went to the grave.
"I regret the day I didn't find your grandson that night," Rodolphus shouted. "I would have loved nothing more than to end your pathetic line with you!"
Before they could each get anything out, the screams and gasps sounded out in the chamber as each and every single one of their souls begin to be sucked out.
Most in the chamber still couldn't stomach it so they turned around and averted their gazes, but Augusta Longbottom, she watched closely as the very thing that made them - them, was dragged out of their body and out their mouths.
She didn't blink once or stray her eyes away as the process happened right before her.
Finally at long last silence once again greeted the chamber as no one said a word or even tried to breath loudly.
The Chief Warlock position was one of great importance and power, not only do they run these proceeding, they can call a session when ever they want, they have the authority to give the floor to whoever they want while silencing other with the threat of dismissal.
Plus they could sole decisions like right now what Madam Longbottom did as she didn't call a vote since she didn't want to risk it going the other way and could make a ruling all on her won.
That was a lot of power, and Harry was glad he got that out of Dumbledore's hands or else the man would have shut down so many of his plans.
Breaking the silence, Amelia Bones spoke up to the court crier, "Why don't you continue. Please call out those criminals that are still on the loose."
Harry nearly forget that was his number one priority today. Thanks to all the drama and chaos that unfolded he nearly forget that he wanted to get Sirius's name cleared.
Giving the signal to Rem so that she could call in Sirius, Harry felt a bit of trepidation as the time was nearing.
"Why do we need to do that?" Lucius suddenly asked as he rolled his eyes while breaking away from Fudge who he was most definitely filling his head with stuff.
Narrowing her eyes, Amelia nearly all but growled at the pompous man, "So that we can always remember and be on guard of the criminals that still run about, who aren't behind bars."
Then pausing, she smiled viciously, "or would you like to move on to the next thing on the agenda, like Augustus Rookwood testimony?!"
"Hear, hear!" some people shouted from among the crowd.
Harry watched with amusement as Lucious swallowed down on the lump on his throat. "I believe," he said as Harry could see that literally pained him to say so, "that we should listen to Lady Bones wise council, and carry on with these retrials."
Nodding her head, Madam Longbottom was still as silent as before as she must be processing things. But she kept a firm grasps on things and lead the proceedings. She was truly a strong woman, others in her place might have broke down or just giving in.
Receiving his orders, the court crier who looked dead tired on his feet continued, "And Barty Crouch Jnr," he called out.
As the man continued Harry was really reminded of how many Death Eaters were still out there even if they got the most fanatical or just the plain stupid ones who couldn't lie for their life. There were still plenty of Death Eaters still out there, and when you counted the other who got off on lame excuses or weren't just found out, it added up.
Today Harry might have send a deep blow against Voldermort as he got ride of the most loyal men and woman of his, but there was still more work to be done.
"Sirius Black," the court crier said, "for the betrayal of the Potters, the murder of twelve Muggles, and the murder of Order of Merlin, First Class Pettigrew Pettigrew."
Turning to Rem, Harry gave her the look of 'Where the hell was he?'
This was it, this was the time!
Before he got his answer there was a commotion down below, the flames in the fireplace turned pitch black and they rouse up, and in walked in Sirius Black.
He was dressed very well and might he say, very lordly.
He had on a black and red gothic style tuxedo with a black shirt underneath he of course left a few buttons open. He also had on a black trouser in intricate elegant designs with a very expensive cane in hand, the chains of a pocket watch hanging out, and his Lordship ring right out in the open for all to say.
"Hello folks," he grinned as he walked into the chamber, unfazed in the least bit as everyone took him in.
He took a seat unperturbed when nobody responded to him at all and rested his ankles on his knee and turned to everyone.
"Suprised to see me?" he asked as he held up his hands to either side.
Then that was when the pandemonium started.
All Harry did was shake his head, though he had to give it to the man, he knew how to make an entrance!
***
Check out patreon, I am 25 chapters ahead!