None of the others spoke up or stood up.
Speaking with great solemnity, Perrivor said, "All who are to give witness shall now be bound to tell the truth. There will be no evasions or half truths."
A white glow surrounded all seated at and behind the Protector and Defender's tables.
Lord Longrim as the oldest member of the Council got to his feet and read the list of charges. "Cornelius Oswald Fudge, you are here before us facing the charge of High Treason against peoples of magical Britain and the magical world. The allegations making up the primary charge are: It is alleged that you did take bribes from known Deatheaters and allowed them into positions of power within the government so that they could further their racist agenda.
That you abused the power of your office in the following ways: Imprisoning the man Ruebus Hagrid in Azkaban without a trial and no proof that he was the guilty party involved in reopening the Chamber of Secrets and that through you, the Ministry has failed to this day to compensate Hagrid for that false imprisonment. That you failed to give a new trial to Sirius Orion Black when possible evidence came to light that he might be innocent or even delay his execution until that evidence could be examined as is required by law. That you did abuse your position on the Wizengamot to have a simple charge of underaged magic heard before the full panel, when it should have only been heard a before a three member panel from the Department of Magical Education.
Also it is alleged that you changed the time of this hearing but failed to notify the participants until the last minute so that Lord Harry James Potter would be expelled from Hogwarts for failing to show up at the appointed time. That you deliberately covered up the actions of the Dark Lord in his attacks against both magical and muggle-born families, leaving us defenceless if he chose to attack in full force. And you did knowingly violate the treaty between the magical and muggle government of Great Britain by doing so. As a further abuse of your power it is alleged that you did allow and encourage the Daily Prophet to print lies and slander about Lord Potter and Albus Dumbledore in an attempt to discredit them so no one would believe their claims that He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named was back. That you did place your Undersecretary Delores Umbridge at Hogwarts as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, even though she was not qualified to teach the position and this was done in an effort to silence Harry Potter and those who believed the claims about Voldemort's return."
Longrim paused for a moment looking up. "How do you plead to these charges?"
Fudge got to his feet. "I plead not guilty to all the charges and I also hereby declare that this court has no authority over me."
Longrim sat down as Dantes ordered, "Protector Delacour, call your first witness."
"Lord Harry James Potter." Delacour called.
As Harry rose from his seat, a comfortable looking straight-backed chair appeared between the tables.
"Lord Potter, how long have you been a part of the wizarding world?" Delacour asked, once Harry had taken the witness seat.
"Approximately seven years," Harry answered calmly.
"Prior to your introduction to the Wizarding World by Rubeus Hagrid, you lived in the muggle world, is that correct?"
"Existed might be more accurate," Harry answered after a moment's though on how to phrase it, "but yes, I resided in the muggle world."
"When did you first meet the Minister Fudge?" Delacour wanted to know.
"Do you mean when were we first introduced, or when did I first see the man? They aren't necessarily the same thing." Harry explained.
"When were you first introduced to him? And where?" Dleacour clarified the question.
"I was introduced to Minister Fudge in the summer before my third year at Hogwarts. He met me at the Leaky Cauldron when I went there to get away from my family after accidentally blowing up Marge Dursley." Harry told him.
"That was the summer Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban." Delacour commented then asked. "Was it an accidental meeting?"
"No, he was waiting for me inside the Leaky Cauldron."
"And why was the Minister of Magic, who I am sure was at that time a very busy man waiting there for you?"
"He came to chew me out for running away from my Aunt's house. He told me that I had caused them a lot of bother, but that they had smoothed all over and I would be welcome back at my Aunt and Uncle's the next summer." Harry told him. "Though he was polite abut it, he tried to make me feel as if it were my fault that I'd put the Ministry to so much trouble to fix things, even though Marge deserved it."
"And you didn't think it was odd that the Minister of Magic had come to do that himself? He could've sent an underling to make sure you were ok."
"Given that I wasn't raised in the Magical world I had no idea how things worked. I was just glad he wasn't there to arrest me, so I didn't really give it much thought." Harry admitted. "I mean I had seen him have Hagrid arrested on nothing more than suspicion and rumour about the Chamber of Secrets the previous spring so I was expecting the worst."
Delacour led Harry through the events where he had contact either directly or indirectly with the Minister.
"So the Minister didn't believe you when you told him that Pettigrew was alive?" Delacour inquired.
"No sir, he thought Granger and I were confounded by Sirius." Harry told the tribunal. "He wouldn't listen to a thing we said. He acted like we were five year olds who'd just had an encounter with a boggart. I have never been a child. Growing up with the Dursleys saw to that. Fudge chose to believe Snape, even though he had to know that Snape loathed Sirius and my Father and would like nothing better than to get back at them. It was a well known fact at Hogwarts during the time they attended school."
Harry decided to add some additional information for the Tribunal's consideration. "I did some checking over this past summer and I found that my godfather never received a trial after his arrest. He was condemned to Azkaban without trial. The only record showing at the Ministry of Magic regarding his trial is a single page that says trial is pending. That means that by not even being willing to listen to Granger and I, Fudge had condemned someone who hadn't even been subjected to the wizard world's idea of a trial to the Kiss."
"That is a lie!" Fudge burst out. "Black was tried and found guilty."
"Oh really?" Harry countered in a drawling voice. "Then why did he retain access to his vaults afterwards? I mean according to a fifty year old law that Gringotts is required to honour, if a person is condemned to life in prison or the Kiss, then all their assets either are given to or held in trust for their heir and if there is no heir, then they are given to the family of the person harmed. The thing is the Goblins before they will comply with this have to have proof the person was convicted. Sirius had no heir at the time he was sent to Azkaban and his assets were never placed in trust for me, so he was never convicted of any crime."
"Gentlemen, we are getting off the subject here." Dantes spoke up.
"Actually, I think does go to point out just how incompetent Fudge has been throughout his entire ministerial career." Harry countered. "But you are right in that it has no bearing on charges of high treason."
Delacour spoke up before Fudge could make any more comments. "All right Lord Potter lets move on to your fourth year after you returned from completing the third task in the Tournament with the body of Cedric Diggory. What happened when Fudge came into the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts?"
"Fudge and Professor McGonagall were arguing about something Fudge had brought into the castle without Dumbledore's permission. I got the impression that it was something the Headmaster would not have approved of. Then he demanded to know where Dumbledore was."
"Did you ever learn what it was that had Fudge brought into Hogwarts?" Delacour wanted to know.
....
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