Ed entered and looked about. The office was circular in shape, and the walls were simply covered with moving pictures, the largest of which was behind Dumbledore's enormous desk. It gave a sense of being on display before a rather large audience, especially with the hushed whispers that came from them as some of the figures within somehow rushed from one frame to another.
On either side of the door stood two people in what Ed knew to be wizard robes. One he recognised...Kingsley.
Dumbledore himself sat serenely in his highbacked chair behind said desk, and some sort of fancy bird was perched on a..stand?.. Ed supposed ...near his shoulder. Professor McGonagall stood near the desk, looking quite stern with her no-nonsense attitude. Ed couldn't help but compare them to Roy and Riza in his memories, especially since the desk, like Roy's, was covered in piles and piles of paperwork.
Behind them, Ed saw a man standing by the fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. The man turned and looked at him, and Ed had a vague sense of recognition when he saw the man's full face. The man made a scornful little laugh, and folded his arms across his puffed up chest.
The Pink Toad stood to the side before Dumbledore's desk, nearly scowling, and yet smiling sweetly at the same time, when she glanced at Ed.
"Minister, I was not expecting to see this child in these proceedings." she said in her simpering, little girl voice.
Ed scowled at the word 'child', but stopped in front of Dumbledore's desk, clasped both hands behind his back, and set his feet so that they were roughly shoulder-width apart. He held his head high..or as high as he could given that he was once again the shortest person in the room.
"Do not be calling me 'child', Ministry Appointed Instructor." Ed said. "I am legal adult."
"A Muggle? in Hogwarts, Dumbledore?" the portly man said in a contemptous tone. "I believe it really is truely far past the time for your retirement if you think this school should be allowing Muggles within its walls."
"I assure you, Cornelius, that when I introduced you to Mr. Elric in court, I was quite unaware of his rather special talents." Dumbledore said. "However, I assume the question of his qualifications is not that which brings us here at so late an hour. Is this correct, Delores?"
"Yes, Headmaster."
"Mr. Elric? Do you know why you are here?" Cornelius said.
"No." Ed said.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No. I don't."
"So..you have no idea why this hearing has been called at this late an hour, even though you are clearly dressed for such an event?"
"Dhat is correct. And you are?" Ed said and fixed his eyes on the somehow familiar looking fat man.
"The Minister of Magic." The man said impatiently. "Surely you remember the Wizengamont.."
"Vas big sea of faces from my point of view, MINISTER" Ed interrupted. "You vere but one of many I met dhat day."
"I find I do not like your tone of voice, Mr. Elric." The Minister said.
"That day vas not a very pleasant vone for me, MINISTER." Ed said coldly, and blinked a slow blink to shift his gaze back at Dumbledore.
"Under article 15 of the Minstry of Magic's educational code, no underage wizard is to be permitted to assault or otherwise harm an instructor while school is in session. At the hour of 6pm on Friday night, I was not only assaulted by Mr. Elric in my office, but was entombed alive within the transfiguration he fashioned from my desk." The pink toad said in her honey sweet voice.
"Those are indeed grave accusations, Delores. Very grave indeed." The Minister said.
"What's more, I believe Mr. Elric is most... unsavory.. to have around the other students. He has..certain violent tendencies.. an undesirable result of his Muggle upbringing, no doubt,.. that have resulted in injuries to 2 of my students. I believe this happened on Thursday afternoon."
"That incident did not happen in your class, Ministry Appointed Instructor. I hardly tink dhat is.."
"It's Professor Umbridge, Mr. Elric, and your opinion is not what's important. Here." Pink Toady snapped in her sweet voiced way. She even managed a simpering smile..aimed at the Minister, of course.
"Mr. Elric, what have you to say on this matter?" Dumbledore said quietly.
"Vhich vone?"
"The assault and entombment on Professor Umbridge, of course." The Minister said in irritation.
"I did no assaulting on her, nor could I have been responsible for de transfiguring of her desk."
"Lies." The toad woman said shrilly.
"Do you have any evidence to support your accusations, Delores?" Dumbledore asked politely, entwining his fingers before his chin.
"Indeed I do." And to Ed's astonishment, the woman proceeded to push up the pink sleeves of her very fluffy sweater. Her forearms were quite black and patchy; covered in what looked to be rather painful and deep bruises. "This is what he did to me when I touched his arm."
"That certainly looks quite painful. Have you seen Madam Pomfrey?"
"I saw her this morning, in fact. That was how I discovered that Mr. Elric once again defied my instructions after I dismissed him from detention."
"Whatever did he do?"
"He...did not...go where I dismissed him to go to."
"I believe she means he did not show up to the hospital wing." Professor Mcgonagall said curtly.
"Is that so? That suggests to me that he received some sort of injury as well. Mr. Elric?"
"I..have no vish to speak about my health related issues, Professor Dumbledore. Dhey are..very private and I am used to managing them myself. Vhat dat voman vas having me do in dhat detention of hers.."
"Professor Umbridge, if you please, Mr. Elric." Dumbledore said politely with a slight smile.
"It vas clear to me dhat.." Ed's nose wrinkled in distaste, not wanting to give the toad woman any title associated with learning at all. He shot a glare at her, and saw she had a self satisfied kind of smile on her face. Then he scowled, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand.
'Well. There's no other way.' Ed thought.
:::
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