A few moments after it had shut the door to the office opened again. Madam Hopkirk came in, and with her was a square-jawed woman with close-cropped grey hair and a monocle.
"Mr Potter" stated the monocle-wearing woman "you're here, good. I'm Amelia Bones, the Head of the DMLE. Follow me."
Confused, Harry none the less got to his feet and followed Amelia out of the room saying "I'm sorry, I thought that my hearing was taking place in here."
Madam Bones shook her head "No, those hearings usually take place with me in my office."
"Usually?" asked Harry.
"There has been a change of plans." replied Madam Bones as she led him towards the lifts at the end of the corridor "It seems that Minister Fudge doesn't trust me to come to a suitable outcome to this situation all by myself and has decided to hold your hearing before the whole Wizengamot."
"The what?" questioned Harry.
"The Wizengamot." replied Madam Bones as they got into a lift "A judicial and legislative branch of the Ministry. They are usually involved in the passing of decrees and the creation of new laws."
Trying to not sound rude, Harry asked "But why should my trial take place before all of them?"
"That is the point, Mr Potter," said Madam Bones "It shouldn't."
On floor four several Ministerial employees from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures got into the lift and Madam Bones went silent. Harry took the hint and kept quiet as well.
To Harry's surprise they didn't get out at the level of the Atrium and instead continued on downwards. When the lift came to a stop, the door rattled open and the female voice said "Department of Mysteries."
"Er…" began Harry as Madam Bones led the way out of the lift.
"Nothing to do with where we're going." she said to him as the lift doors clanged shut behind him.
Ahead Harry saw nothing except a single, plain black door set in the wall at the far end of the corridor. Harry half expected to be led through it, but with a "This way." Madam Bones guided him down a staircase off to one side.
At the bottom of the staircase they came to a corridor that consisted of rough stone walls and flaming torches in brackets. They passed several doors, each of which was heavy and made of wood, with iron bolts and keyholes.
"Here we are." said Madam Bones, stopping by a particularly dark and grimy door "Courtroom Ten." She turned to Harry "I have to head straight in as I'm a key member of the Wizengamot. You take a seat on that bench over there and someone will call for you when we are ready."
Harry gave a nod, turned and sat down on the bench. By the time he looked towards Madam Bones again, the door to the courtroom was just shutting behind her.
Harry remained sitting in complete silence for several very long minutes before hearing something. It sounded to him like the footsteps of someone trying to not make a sound and failing miserably.
He turned to look along the corridor, and the sound of footsteps stopped.
"Hello?" he asked aloud, but no reply came.
Harry got to his feet, his eyes straining to see in the torchlight.
"Hello?" he called again.
Almost as if in answer, the door to Courtroom Ten opened and a voice Harry recognised called out "Harry Potter?"
Harry turned and was surprised to see Percy Weasley, one of Ron's older brothers standing in the doorway, holding a roll of parchment and a quill. He was looking directly at Harry, but there was no sign of recognition on his face "Hurry up and get inside, Mr Potter. It won't do to keep the Wizengamot waiting."
And with that Percy turned and strolled back into the room, Harry following tentatively in his wake.
Harry recognised the dungeon-like that room he was now in. He had seen it before. He had been in it before… well, kind of. He had seen it in a memory in a pensive. It was where the Ministry had carried out Death Eater trials at the end of the last war with Lord Voldemort. Were they treating him as if he were a Death Eater?