"I ask you to refrain from commenting on matters you're not well versed in, Lord Malfoy. Am I understood?" Ogden chided. Lucius looked up and glared at Chief Warlock Ogden before giving a slimy smile and bowing his head.
"My apologies, Chief Warlock," he bent his head slightly and looked ahead.
"Now that we have the hassle out of the way, let us get on with this trial. Heir Potter-Black, you have been accused of the murder of one Piers Polkiss by the use of an undisclosed spell, in a muggle inhabited area on July the twenty-sixth at twelve minutes past five, thereby breaching the provisions of Section 17 of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy as well as commit the murder of a muggle through magical means, constituting an offence under Section 11 of the Muggle Protection Act, 1919. How do you plead?" Ogden read out.
"Not guilty," Harry replied in a powerful voice.
"So noted. Counsel may present evidence now," Ogden remarked, motioning with his hand for the ministry to open the proceedings.
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties stood up with a folder in his hand.
"Esteemed Chief Warlock, I am Albert Runcorn and I shall be acting as the ministry's representative for the duration of this trial. I would like to ask Heir Potter-Black as few questions if I have your permission," the man, Runcorn, droned.
"Permission granted."
"Heir Potter-Black, can you tell the courtroom where you have been living since the Hogwarts school year ended?"
"At my relatives. The ministry has the address registered if you would like to look into it. I had been living there until the 24th of July, after which I moved to live with my godfather Lord Sirius Orion Black."
"If yes, how did you know Mr. Polkiss?"
"I have known him for over a decade now. He was a friend of my cousin and we used to go to the same school until I started Hogwarts."
"Alright. And how would you describe your relationship with Mr. Polkiss?"
Harry sighed.
"We were not friends. He was one of the guys who used to bully me when I was a kid."
"So, it's safe to say that you did not like him?"
Harry grimaced slightly.
"You can say that I didn't give him any thought. I was apathetic toward him."
"That's not what I asked, Mr. Potter," Runcorn smiled condescendingly, "Please answer Yes or No. Did you like Mr. Polkiss as a person?"
"No, I didn't."
"Would I be right to assume that you were not sad when you heard about his death?"
"Objection: Speculation," Harry remarked, smirking slightly. Runcorn frowned.
"Alright. How did you feel when you heard about his death?"
"I was shocked to be honest, but I was more shocked to hear that the minister was asking me to present myself for this trial when I was nowhere near him and was with my godfather at his house."
Runcorn nodded.
"Heir Potter-Black, have you previously used any spell in Little Whinging apart from the hover charm the scanners picked up on a few years ago, which has obviously been redacted from your record since then?"
Harry frowned before recalling whether he had performed any spell afterwards.
"Apart from the use of the Inflation hex before my third year, I can only recall casting the Lumos charm in the privacy of my room. The minister knows about the incident and had granted a pardon pertaining to the same.
"I see. Chief Warlock, I would like to present the report from the muggle healer who pronounced Mr. Polkiss dead," Runcorn said, and everyone picked up the sealed envelope in front of them and opened it.
"As you can see, the victim had no wounds or marks on his body, indicating no external stimulus had any part in his death. The reason for his death has been listed as a heart failure. You will find another report detailing that Mr. Polkiss had no heart problems. Now, it has been proven that only the killing curse leads to a heart failure, which gives us conclusive evidence that Mr. Polkiss died at the hands of a wizard or a witch," Runcorn smiled ruefully.
Harry could see the hidden smiles on a lot of faces and he sighed internally.
"All of that is fine, Mr. Runcorn. However, we are here to determine the guilt or innocence of Heir Potter-Black," Lord Greengrass chimed in with a frown, "so if you could come to the matter at hand and proceed, please."
Runcorn bowed slightly.
"Please open the report from the Department of Restriction of Magic and Underage Sorcery," Runcorn asked, and everyone opened the envelope concerned.
"As you all know, the Department of Restriction on Magic and Underage Sorcery has the function of monitoring muggle areas for any use or misuse of magic. The report clearly states that there was the use of a killing curse at the time when Mr. Polkiss died. Furthermore, the regional scans show that Heir Potter-Black, by his own admission, was the last wizard who had cast a spell in the area, when he used a Lumos charm on the night of 27th August last year."
Harry frowned. Didn't Tonks use the Legilimens on him when she was checking his shields? He turned to look at Tonks who was frowning at Runcorn. Now that Harry thought about it, wasn't Mundungus present in the area as well? It was impossible for the man to not use his wand for every small thing.
With a sigh, he realized that the ministry was fabricating evidence against him. They must have tweaked the enchantments so that only spells used by his wand would register on the scanner, but he couldn't do anything about that without having conclusive evidence.
"It seems clear, Chief Warlock. Heir Potter-Black was the last wizard to cast magic in the area as per the reports. The cause of death also resembles the killing curse. Even the scanners picked up the killing curse in the area at the same time. By his own admission, Heir Potter-Black did not like Mr. Polkiss because of their troubled past, which fulfills the criteria of motivation as well. This paints a clear picture that Heir Potter-Black used the killing curse to murder Piers Polkiss. That's all, Chief Warlock," Runcorn bowed.
A small round of applause followed, mostly from the Conservative faction as well as the minister and some of his aides. Harry could see the sick smiles sporting on their faces.
Sirius seethed as he watched the proceedings play out. He had to admit that the ministry had indeed done its homework. The entire web had been carefully laid out, and the pitch of Runcorn fit the puzzle perfectly. As he looked on, he took notice of every person who was sporting a smile right now. There will be a reckoning, that much was guaranteed.
Dumbledore looked on with a solemn look on his face from his place among the Order of Merlin holders. His eyes trailed from the left wing of the courtroom to where Harry was sitting on the chair. He looked forward to how the boy would play his way out of this.
Harry Potter looked on with a bored gaze as the morons continued to clap. Did they think the case was already done? Premature ejaculation, he scoffed.
Clapping his hands, he stood up. The entire courtroom watched in shock as the chains fell on the floor as Harry walked forward.
"How are you moving!? Aurors, restrain him!" Fudge shouted.
"Oh, shut up, you imbecile," Harry waved his hand, and everyone watched in shock as Fudge's mouth was sealed shut.
"I'm my own attorney, did you forget it, you big old lump of fat? Now keep quiet and stop wasting the good and valuable time of these esteemed people," Harry gave him a condescending look and turned toward Ogden.
"May I begin, Chief Warlock?"
Ogden hid his grin and gave a nod.
"You may."
Harry gave a small bow.
"I'd like you all to open the book you see in front of you," Harry began.
"What is this, Potter? Why is there a school book in this trial? Do you want to waste our time?" Lucius Malfoy word-vomited once again.
"My dear Lord Malfoy, please exercise the patience your wife surely does in the bedroom and open the book," Harry deadpanned, and a smattering of laughter rang throughout the courtroom.
"Silence!" Ogden boomed out, hiding his laugh. Harry caught Tonks' eye and winked.
"Now, please turn to Page 479 please," Harry prompted.
"What do you want to prove here, Heir Potter-Black?" Lord Greengrass asked in confusion, looking at the chapter on Dementors.
"Allow me to explain, Lord Greengrass," Harry began, "what you have in your hands is the book titled 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' by Newt Scamander, the world's most famous magizoologist and an expert on all magical creatures. Now, Lord Malfoy, since you like to hear the sound of your voice so much, would you please read the sixth paragraph for all of us? On second thought, please don't. No one else likes to hear your voice," Harry remarked with an easy smile, as Lucius glared.
"Heir Potter-Black, please refrain from unnecessary remarks," Ogden chided before reading the aforementioned paragraph.
Harry allowed everyone to read and saw with satisfaction as a few eyes widened as they made the connection that he was intending for them to make.
"As you read, the Dementor Kiss leaves the same symptoms as the Killing curse, namely, a heart failure. That is what the reports of the muggle doctor showed. Now, if you'd pick up the report of the Department of Mysteries, please," Harry smiled.
Several eyes widened, people thinking just how he had managed to obtain a report from the Department of Mysteries in such a short time. Harry looked at Dumbledore who simply gave him a wink before opening the envelope.
"This is a report from the Department of Mysteries detailing the unnatural weather phenomenon around the time of Polkiss' death in Surrey. If you would read it, you will find a sharp drop in temperature on a hot summer day, conditions proven to be caused by Dementors as per the report. There is also a forensic analysis of the flora around Surrey, the samples showing a severe exposure to the dementors within the past few hours due to the rotten condition they were found in."
Harry could hear a few mutterings amongst the crowd as they reached their conclusions. He stayed silent.
"So, what you're trying to prove is that there were Dementors around Privet Drive and that they were responsible for the death of Mr. Polkiss?" Lord Greengrass asked with a frown.
"The report of the Department of Mysteries corroborates that fact, Lord Greengrass, that there were indeed Dementors present in Privet Drive yesterday, which brings us to the question as to what were the Dementors doing in a muggle inhabited area, an area which coincidentally is where I lived only until a few days ago? As far as my knowledge goes, there are two possibilities. The first is that the Dementors are not in the ministry's control, which is a matter of grave concern. The second," his voice hardened, "is that someone from the ministry gave the order for the Dementors to travel all the way to Privet Drive, a place where I was known to live, something which resulted in the death of an innocent."
A deep silence rang throughout the courtroom as everyone digested his words. Harry looked on in slight amusement as Fudge turned purple from exertion, trying to get his words out but unable to.
"Heir Potter-Black, would you please take down whatever enchantment you've put on the minister?"
Harry looked at Lord Greengrass who was looking at him with an amused smile before he waved his hand. In an instant, Mt. Fudge erupted.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BOY!? ACCUSING THE MINISTRY OF TRYING TO SEND DEMENTORS AFTER CIVILIANS! I COULD GET YOUR HEAD FOR THOSE TREASONOUS WORDS, YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? COMING IN HERE AND RUNNING YOUR MOUTH LIKE AN ENTITLED LITTLE BRAT! YOU- "
The rest of his monologue was cut off as Lord Greengrass waved his wand and silenced him, and Harry looked at him, surprised.
"My apologies for the conduct of our esteemed minister, Heir Potter-Black. Please continue."
Harry shook his head.
"I would urge you all to pay close attention to what our dear minister just said. Apparently asking questions of the ministry is tantamount to treason now. What next? Looking wrong at the ministry? Where are we going like this? Just something to think about," he remarked.
"Now, let us continue then. Until now, I have proven, thanks to our esteemed unspeakables, that there were Dementors present in Privet Drive when Piers Polkiss died. And given the fact that a Dementor's Kiss results in a similar death, it is apparent that the death occurred by way of a kiss."
Harry looked around the courtroom and saw many Wizengamot members looking at the minister with a frown. His eyes met Sirius' who gave him a nod and he smiled slightly. So far, the case seemed to be going fairly well.
"While this all seems to be very likely, there is still the point of a Killing curse being used at the same time Mr. Polkiss died, and in the same area as well," the voice of Amelia Bones sounded out, and Harry turned to look at her.
"I am willing to surrender my wand for inspection, Madam Bones. Additionally, is there any proof that the killing curse was cast by me? All I have heard is mere speculation from Mr. Runcorn based on some plausible cause. That is not admissible as evidence," Harry replied.
"Quite correct," Lord Greengrass intoned, looking at him and giving him a small nod.
"Mr. Runcorn put forward very logical arguments, but they have been completely debunked by the Department of Mysteries' report. There is no doubt that there were Dementors present in Privet Drive yesterday, and that they were responsible for the death of Mr. Polkiss. In my opinion, the grave concern is how the Dementors went there? I propose a thorough investigation of this issue. If the Dementors are acting independently, actions would have to be taken. And if there was someone from the ministry involved, then the issue is even more grave," Lord Greengrass finished.
To say that Harry was surprised was an understatement, and as he looked at Sirius, he saw that he seemed surprised as well. However, the twinkling eyes of the headmaster gave him pause. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Dumbledore, who only smiled. Something was going on, and Dumbledore knew about it.
Greengrass had come in support of him throughout the trial, something he hadn't expected. It raised a question as to what his game was. Harry resolved to talk with the man after this affair was sorted. His attention was diverted when Lord Ogden addressed him.
"Do you have anything else to say before we vote, Heir Potter-Black?" Ogden asked.
"No, Chief Warlock," Harry shook his head.
"So it is then. We shall be putting it to vote now. As always, the members of the Wizengamot and the holders of the Order of Merlin shall have one vote each, while the members of the jury shall have three votes each. All those in favor of Heir Potter-Black's conviction?"
Harry looked around as the voting commenced. He noted with amusement as the members of the Conservative faction all looked at Lucius Malfoy who shook his head slightly. Not even a single wand was raised. Even Fudge was not that big of an idiot. Everyone had observed the air of the courtroom shift in his favour in the beginning. What surprised him was the satisfied smile on the face of Lord Greengrass as he looked at him.
"Noted. All those in favor of Heir Potter-Black's acquittal?"
All the wands from the Progressives and the Neutrals were raised alight, and Harry noted only Fudge and Malfoy abstain among the jury. He also observed how the entire left wing of the chamber also abstained and scoffed.
Ogden looked with amusement shining in his eyes and nodded.
"Cleared of all charges!" He banged his gravel, and Harry stood up with a flourish, brushing his robes to get rid of the crumbs before looking at his godfather. Sirius smiled and mock bowed in front of him. Harry chuckled.
"Silence please!" Ogden called out, and everyone turned to look at him.
"In light of the revelations made in this trial, I, with the power vested in me as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, hereby direct the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to probe into the actions of the Dementors who were responsible for the death of Mr. Polkiss. Furthermore, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement shall also look into the casting of the Killing curse around Privet Drive last afternoon and bring the perpetrator to justice."
Amelia Bones nodded with a solemn look on her face. She knew she had a daunting task ahead of her. Even though she had her suspicions, finding proof to back them up would be challenging. Still, she looked at Kingsley and nodded. The man in question dipped his head in understanding, before looking at where the toad was sitting. Amelia followed his gaze before nodding, her face set into a determined look.
"Now, before we conclude this session, is there any other matter to be brought to the attention of this body?"
Harry took this as his cue and walked forward.
"Yes, Heir Potter-Black?" Ogden asked, and the entire chamber waited with bated breath for him to speak.
"Given the utter farce of a trial that I had to endure as well as the attempted targeted attack on my personal well-being, I, Heir Harry James Potter-Black, am filing a lawsuit against the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, and the elected body of the British Ministry for Magic under the doctrine of malicious prosecution. Here are the official documents for this august judicial body to take into consideration."
With a flourish, Harry threw a thick bundle of parchment in front of Percy Weasley, who looked at him with a shocked look before gulping at the glare he was subjected to.
Everyone could only sit there in shock as Harry Potter delivered a lawsuit against the ministry itself for their targeted attempt of a baseless murder charge. The reporters were scribbling away furiously, having had a field day at work and knowing that a huge bonus was on their way for all the drama they were going to report.
Lord Tiberius Ogden hid his smirk behind his palm as he looked over the documents. Finding them as per the requirements, he banged the gravel and everyone looked at him.
"All seems to be in order. Given the events of the day and the arguments put forward in the trial, the lawsuit under the doctrine of malicious prosecution has been accepted. The trial date shall be announced on the date of the next Wizengamot meeting, which, I reiterate, is August 11. That concludes the session. Thank you, and I wish you a good day."
XXXXX
Harry walked with Sirius toward the office of the Blacks in the ministry building. Every member of the Wizengamot had an office that was furnished befitting their station.
They had dodged the crowd of vultures, all of whom wanted to ask questions of him after the trial.
As soon as they turned the corner, they saw the headmaster waiting in front of the door. Smiling, they walked over and Sirius pressed his signet ring against the lock on the door.
They made their way inside the office and took their seats.
"First of all, thank you Professor. If you hadn't engaged the Unspeakables in such a short time, I don't think this would've been so easy," Harry smiled. Dumbledore chuckled.
"Trust me, my boy. Even if I hadn't involved them, you would have somehow managed to prove your innocence. Let me tell you that the way you handled yourself down there was commendable. People much older and experienced than you have faltered, but you carried yourself with such confidence and displayed your guts in such a manner that you managed to leave a mark on everyone, myself included."
Harry smiled.
"That means a lot, headmaster. Thank you," he bowed his head before looking at Sirius.
"I guess the dual heirship thing really paid off," he admitted. Sirius grinned.
"Told you, didn't I? You know when you won the trial? The moment you revealed the dual heirship. After that, no one in their right mind would've voted against you."
Harry smiled before sighing.
"Still, feels like we're using the pureblood privilege," he admitted.
Sirius sighed.
"I get what you mean, but we're at war, Harry. We have to use every possible weapon in out arsenal. And this is nothing. We're not abusing our power, are we? All we did was put the slight fear of the combined might of our houses into the minds of the masses."
Harry nodded with a chuckle.
"Feels like you people would make a politician out of me in the end."
A soft knock on the door sounded, and Sirius frowned.
"Were you expecting anyone?" Harry asked. Sirius shook his head before walking toward the door. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw who was standing on the other side, while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"Lord Greengrass," Sirius greeted.
"Lord Black," Cyrus nodded, "may I have a moment?"
Sirius nodded and stepped aside, and Cyrus entered. They walked inside and Sirius gestured for him to take a seat.
"Oh, don't mind me, Lord Black. I have to head back home soon. I just wanted to congratulate you, Heir Potter-Black. It was really commendable how you conducted yourself throughout the trial."
Harry inclined his head.
"I appreciate it, Lord Greengrass."
Cyrus nodded.
"There was another reason I came here," he began, looking at the two of them.
Harry and Sirius looked at the man, who smiled.
"I would like to formally invite you to a dinner at my family manor tomorrow evening. There are some things I believe we have to talk about."
Harry exchanged a look with Sirius before he gazed at the Greengrass patriarch. With a nod, he smiled.
"We would be honored to, Lord Greengrass," he replied.
Cyrus smiled, before handing him a small card.
"This is the floo address. Please call when you're ready to come and I'll take down the wards."
Harry took the card and nodded.
"We will be there. Tomorrow evening. I hope 7 will do?"
Cyrus nodded.
"My family and I look forward to seeing the two of you tomorrow," Cyrus bowed slightly before dipping his head toward the headmaster and walking out of the room.
Harry put the card on the table and took his seat before looking at Sirius.
"What do you think he wants to talk about?"
"No clue. He did come to our help a lot of times today though."
"Now that you mention it, isn't Greengrass the one who leads the Neutrals?"
Sirius nodded.
"He convinced the Neutrals to vote in my favor," Harry chuckled, shaking his head slightly, "they could've easily abstained, but every one of them voted in my favor," he looked at Sirius, whose eyes were widened slightly before looking at Dumbledore who was looking at him with mirth dancing in his eyes.
"You know something, don't you?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore chuckled.
"Go to that dinner. I assume you'll know everything anyway," he smiled before getting up and clapping him on the shoulder.
"I'll see you two in the next Order meeting," he smiled, before walking out of the room, leaving them surprised in his wake.
Harry exchanged a look with his godfather before looking at the shiny card resting on the table, his mind full of unanswered questions.
XXXXX
To be continued…
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