Chapter Text
Chapter 52
The next day was the group trial for all the captured death eaters including Pettigrew again for that night. Ron and Hermione weren't needed today as they never actually witnessed anything at the graveyard. Maybe if Crouch jr had been taken alive then they would have been needed to give evidence of what they saw on the map but as the man was dead there was no need for that. So it was just Harry and his grandfather today. Well, them and the entire squad of Aurors who had survived the rescue mission.
Ginny however, was needed as there was a trial that they hadn't known was coming before they got to the big list of death eaters. Sometime since they had returned to Hogwarts the Aurors had conducted a raid and had arrested Lucus Malfoy. He was being charged with a number of offences before he, like Pettigrew, would join the Deatheaters for the group trial. Malfoy's charges included not only things like attempting to bribe the Minister of Magic, but also being responsible for the mishandling of a cursed object resulting in the injury of several minors.
It hadn't taken Harry long after hearing that explanation and about Ginny's presence to put together that Malfoy was being charged with sliding Ginny the diary.
Ginny had been the first one called and was very relieved that when she was called the intern who was running messages back and forth for the court today wasn't alone but had her father with him. Yesterday Harry, Ron, and Hermione had had the option of having an adult with them but just hadn't felt the need. Especially as it would have been a stranger for Harry and Hermione as Charlus couldn't be with them as he was also a witness.
It was Harry's first opportunity to speak to the Aurors who had been involved with saving him and he took the opportunity to thank each of them. While the consensus among the Aurors was that they were just doing their job it was obvious that the group rather enjoyed Harry's gratitude.
It was a very upset Ginny who came back into the room an hour and a half later. Harry immediately pulled the girl into a hug and asked what had happened. Mr Weasley assured him it was just going over her memories that had Ginny upset, not anything that had happened.
Harry was the next one called. As Charlus wasn't involved in this one in any way he could have acted as Harry's responsible adult but Harry had suggested to his grandfather that what Ginny really needed right now was a good hard theory lesson on potions, something that would completely distract her.
Harry's second day in a row in the witness chair was much like his first, only this time instead of a pathetic-looking Peter Pettigrew in the defence seat wrapped in chains it was a pathetic-looking Lucius Malfoy. The man looked dishevelled and had a black eye. Looked like he had resisted arrest.
“Mr Potter, can you please explain your recollection of the events around the day you went shopping in Diagon Alley the summer before your second year at Hogwarts.” Director Bones asked.
“Well, we travelled there by floo. I remember because it was my first time using floo and I sneezed and instead of arriving at Diagon Alley I ended up in Knockturn Alley. I ran into Hagrid who showed me the way back to Diagon alley. I met up with the Weasleys and my friend Hermione who was also doing her back-to-school shopping and we started getting everything we needed for school. We left the book shops until last because they were having a book signing and both our friend Hermione and Mrs Weasley were interested in seeing the author.”
“While we were queuing the author Gilderoy Lockhart saw me and pulled me into a public stunt against my will. He announced he was going to be the defence against the dark arts professor. Once all that was done Draco Malfoy, who is known as a bully at Hogwarts, decided this was great ammunition to insult me with. It was admittedly childish. Just two twelve-year-olds verbally sniping at each other. Draco was losing, and that was when Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, decided to step in. He started insulting the Weasleys. During this, he picked up a large textbook that the youngest Weasley, Ginevra, was carrying that she had already gotten from a second-hand bookshop before coming to Flourish and Blotts.” Harry had to concentrate on using the legal first names of both Draco and Ginny to avoid confusion with his father because Harry couldn't just call him Malfoy and he couldn't use Ginny's nickname in court.
“I honestly can't remember how it started but Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy ended up scuffling until Hagrid separated the two of them. Malfoy then threw Ginevra's book back into the cauldron she was carrying it in. I think that was when he slipped Geneva the cursed diary.” Harry finished.
Harry was then questioned about the events that happened at school. So Harry told them about the attacks, how he had gone down into the chamber of secrets and had fought the basilisk. Considering Harry was on the record as having sold the basilisk corpse and director Bones had reported from Gringotts as to the size of the harvested specimen, no one questioned Harry's story. Then Harry told them all about how he confronted Malfoy after he had left the headmaster's office, how Malfoy had admitted it without admitting it, and how the man had tried to curse Harry only to have his own former house elf knock him on his ass.
Harry was then asked to confirm the authenticity of a document. It was the letter to the bank authorising Malfoy to collect ten thousand galleons from Harry if Harry lost the duel. Apparently, it was the piece of evidence that had led the D.M.L.E to start a serious investigation into Malfoy that led to his arrest.
Harry was then dismissed back to the witness waiting room while Malfoy's trial continued. About an hour later Harry and the others were allowed in to hear the verdict. Malfoy already knew how the votes were going to go. You could see it on his face with how defeated he looked. And indeed, he was found guilty on multiple charges. Bribery of ministry officials, Improper handling of cursed objects, two cases of attempted murder of a minor (Harry and Ginny), mass child endangerment, and financial support of a terrorist. He was sentenced to fifty years in Azkaban. Though considering he would be joining his fellow death eaters in the docks for the next case there was a good chance that he would have more time added to that
After that, there was a break for lunch. They ate in the Ministry cafeteria and then Grandfather Charlus took Ginny back to the school while Harry returned to the witness waiting room. Twenty minutes later Charlus arrived back at the waiting room they waited for the start of the Death Eaters mass trial.
A few hours ticked by until the first of the witnesses was called. It was inevitable that the first witness was going to be Harry. He was the one who was involved from beginning to end. Harry was led to the courtroom again and sat in the same chair he used earlier that day.
Harry was asked to explain the events from his own point of view so that's exactly what he did. He told them about Junior blowing up the floor of the maze and stunning him, waking up tied to a gravestone. How Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch jr had used some type of potion mixed with a ritual using Harry's blood, the bones of Voldemort AKA Tom Riddle, and the hand of Barty Crouch jr. There was some murmuring about the reveal of Voldemort's real name but not much. Harry suspected that they would want to research it before they reacted. After all, Riddle didn't sound like a pureblood name, but they had to be sure.
He explained how Voldemort had given Crouch a new hand, how he had summoned the death eaters to him and proceeded to gloat. Harry listed out all the names Voldemort had said. Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, Yaxley. Harry had half expected some of the law wizards who were sitting with the defendants to object to Harry naming them but they remained silent.
Harry told them how he had baited Voldemort into fighting him. How he had made a bet with Voldemort. How Voldemort had demanded parchment and ink from Nott and had Harry write his bank draft out to Warlock Malfoy.
Harry told them how he had duelled Voldemort. Of using the opportunity to activate the beacon he was given by the Ministry. How he was fighting desperately for his life. How the Aurors had shown up thanks to the beacon showing them the way.
He told them about trying everything to play for time as the Aurors fought through the Death Eaters. That was something that one of the law wizards objected to Harry directly referring to the defendants as death eaters. However, the counterpoint from Madam Bones was that they were summoned by ‘you know who’, and were all wearing Death Eater robes that they had to have had before then. To her it made it a case of ‘if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s a duck’. That got the objection overturned much to the dismay of the death eaters on trial.
Harry told them about falling, about Voldemort standing over him preparing to cast the killing curse, about his decision to try and take Voldemort with him, and overpowering his lightning spell as much as he could. He told them about being hit once again with the killing curse and blacking out and waking up again in his grandfather's arms.
Madam Bones asked him a couple of questions after that. “Mr Potter, do you think the death eaters who arrived in the graveyard were in control of their own minds?”
“Yes, Director Bones I do.”
“Can you please elaborate as to why you think that?”
“Uh yeah, I can do that. Well first, I was there when Voldemort was returned to a full body and was with him while he summoned them, I was there as they begged for his forgiveness for abandoning him when he fell, and I was there as the Aurors arrived to fight them. There wasn't any time to put any of them under something like the Imperius curse. And Voldemort, Crouch, and Wormtail, uh Pettigrew, looked like they didn't have two Knuts to rub together let alone some galleons. If he had had these people under control before then they surely would have had better access to some gold. You don't live in rags when you have someone as rich as the Malfoys under mind control.” Harry explained his thought process.
His words that you don't live in squalor when you have people under mind control seemed to ripple around the room as the seated warlocks nodded in agreement. They could easily see that at the minimum enough galleons to cover food, robes, and lodging would be demanded in that situation.
There were a few more minor questions about the details from the director but then the law wizards representing the defence were allowed to ask him questions. There was some debate among them about who got to ask their questions first but they quickly decided that one of them would ask the questions they all had.
“Heir Potter. You say you don't think the defendants here were under the Imperius curse. Can you tell us just how much experience you have with the Imperius curse?” The appointed law wizard asked.
“Well uh, none. Of the three unforgivables, it's the one I only have an academic understanding of. The killing curse I have been hit with twice, I dodged a few crucios and saw Voldemort use it to punish the death eaters for not trying to find him. But I haven't ever seen anyone try to cast the curse. That includes casting it at the death eaters as they arrived.” Harry admitted.
“So you're only guessing when it comes to saying they weren't under the Imperius curse and in fact they could have been forced to act that way that night?”
“I would call it an educated deduction based on available facts.” Said Harry.
“A rose by any other name. You called it a deduction so you don't know, I call that a guess.”
“Objection the law wizard is leading the witness.”
“Withdrawn. I will move on. Heir Potter, can you tell me how long you were unconscious before you were woken up in the graveyard?”
“I don't know. I was unconscious and after that, it was a bit difficult to look at my watch. Plus I'm not sure what time I left the maze. I wasn't focused on tracking my time. But I don't think it could have been that long because grandfather said he arrived about an hour after I was taken so I would guess at maybe twenty or thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes! Seems like a long time to keep you unconscious, surely the Dark Lord would be eager to get back to his body as soon as possible. How do you know that what you saw wasn't an act prepared while you were unconscious? An inappropriate illusion put on for your benefit so you could report everything to the public having seen exactly what you want them to see?”
“Because if you want to have someone run and tell everyone what they saw you don't hit them in the chest with killing curses,” Harry said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Being dead kinda makes someone a bad witness.”
“Yet you're here and the only evidence we have that you were hit by the killing curse is your own testimony. And you must admit, considering you are alive right now, your claim lacks credibility.”
“I can show you all the new lightning bolt-shaped scar on my chest from where the curse hit if you like.”
“More evidence that you weren't hit by the killing curse, everyone knows that the killing curse doesn't leave a mark.”
“Everyone used to know the earth was flat, everyone used to know my godfather was guilty of betraying my family, everyone used to know my grandfather was dead, everyone used to know that Peter Pettigrew was a tragic hero. If there is one thing I have learned it's that if everyone believes something it best to be sceptical. My observation tells me that when someone is killed by the killing curse it leaves no mark, but when someone survives a killing curse they get a scar filled with dark magic in the same shape as the wand movements needed to cast the curse.”
“So you're special and the killing curse just doesn't work on you?”
“Objection! Relevance?” Bones jumped in.
“If speaks directly to the credibility of the witnesses. If he is so easily misled as to believe he has actually survived the killing curse not once but twice, what other things does he genuinely believe but aren’t true? While I wouldn't dare accuse Heir Potter of lying in this situation, we are talking about a boy who had already completed a good portion of what was meant to be the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. A task that was designed to be a grueling test of power and skill for more mature students. It's not hard to see that the poor boy would have been exhausted; physically, mentally, and magically drained.
Then in his weakened state he was bound and left at the mercy of three very dark wizards for up to half an hour. With that much time and access to him, any truly competent wizard could have the boy believe anything they wanted. Including that these men who have again and again proven themselves to fine upstanding members of the community would willingly follow a deranged lunatic in his quest for power.”
“I'm going to allow Mr Potter to answer that,” Dumbledore said in his role as the chief warlock. “But that's it, move on after this.”
Harry had to struggle to remain civil. He knew if he blew up at the law wizard he wouldn't look like a good witness. But it didn't mean the man hadn't been able to wind Harry up. “Well I will be honest. I don't know why the killing curse didn't work on me. One theory I heard was that when my mother died trying to save me she invoked old magic. Unfortunately to learn more would require someone with much greater understanding of magic than myself, and probably some testing. Considering the potential consequences of a test going wrong I don't think I will be volunteering any time soon.”
“As to being unconscious for 30 minutes let's not forget just how short a time that actually is. They could easily have been making final preparations at that time. How long does it take to heat up a cauldron full of potion that is large enough to grow a body for a full-grown man? I have never heated up a potion that big but even a small cauldron like we use in class can take five minutes. And why would you want your prisoner shouting at you while you're brewing a potion when you can just leave them unconscious until you need them?”
There weren't many questions after that and Harry was excused to return to the witness waiting room. When he got back and checked the clock he was surprised to find he had been in the witness chair for over two hours.
After that were the Aurors, they went in one at a time and returned maybe fifteen minutes later after giving their report. During this time Harry got talking to the Aurors. Quite a few of them had gotten a good look as Harry duelled Voldemort and were impressed. “I mean it kid, you were amazing.”, “There are active Aurors who could stand to learn a thing or two from you.” and “Heck I wouldn't want to go against you alone in a real fight.” were just some of the things said to him.
More than one told him he should consider a career as an Auror. But Grandfather Charlus had put his foot down at that. “Harry is last in the Potter line. He has responsibilities that are incompatible with being an Auror.” Which was Grandfather's polite way of saying Harry needed to have a family, and jobs where running around after people who would try to kill you wasn't the best way to live long enough to father a few little Potters.
Although each Auror didn't spend long on the witness stand, it was hours later when Charlus was called to give his testimony. “Then I fought my way toward my grandson intending to join him in his fight. I was going to help Harry hold him off until the Aurors were finished with the Death Eaters and could come to help us. But then Harry fell. It must have been a bit of loose dirt or something and I knew what was going to happen. Harry actually dodged Voldemort's next attack. Rolled right away from it. But Voldemort was standing over him now and there was nothing Harry could do. I tried to cast a curse at Voldemort to distract him but my shot was wide, then Voldemort cast the killing curse at my boy…” Charlus couldn't keep from choking up as he remembered the scene.
“Harry was so brave. He didn't scream, cry, or beg, he just took the shot so he could take the opportunity to curse Voldemort back. I watched the killing curse hit my grandson in the chest and he fell back dead. I had gotten so caught up in catching the rat I hadn't gotten to my grandson fast enough. I no longer cared about the battle around me. I ran for Harry. I'm told I killed two death eaters after they tried to stop me from getting to Harry. I don't remember it but I can believe it. The only thing that mattered to me at that point was getting to my grandson. I pulled Harry's body to me and begged magic and the universe to give him back to me, to not take the last of my family from me.”
“Then Harry spoke. It was just the word ‘ow’ but it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. My pleading had been answered. I cast a feather-light charm on him, picked him up and ran for the edge of the anti-portkey ward. Bringing him back here to the Ministry as soon as the portkey I was given could activate.”
He gave his evidence that was a little different from the Aurors in content. They had experienced the same battle so that was expected. Though Charlus’s was more emotional and less focused. He had a personal stake in the battle after all and the Aurors had way more experience giving evidence at trials like this. Charlus realised what Director Bones was doing. She had opened on Harry's point of view and was ending on his and the last thing Charlus saw of the fight was Harry falling to Voldemort's killing curse.
It was a call to emotion for the people sitting in judgement. Putting the real consequences of the crimes of Death Eaters right in their faces. She was pretty much shouting at the warlocks ‘If you don't convict these people then it will be your grandchildren next. You will be the one sobbing over the dead corpses of your loved ones ’ all without actually saying it.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time in the day for much more and the prosecution was pretty much done with their case. So Dumbledore called an end to the day and told everyone to be back the next day for the defence.
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Back at school, Harry was immediately tracked down by Ron and Hermione who both wanted to know what had happened at the Death Eater trial. Ginny had already told them and her other brothers what had happened with Malfoy.
“Not a lot to tell. We just sat around in the waiting room like yesterday. All I know is that the prosecution has finished with their case and tomorrow the defence starts. So that means grandfather and I need to go back tomorrow to sit in that room all day. I did give my evidence this morning and the death eaters law wizard practically accused me of being too stupid to know what I saw. But you already know what I told everyone. Anything happen here?” Harry asked.
“Oh yeah, mate. Apparently, there was some coverage of the trial on the wireless around lunchtime. There are a few students who listened to it and the news told everyone what happened to Malfoy and named the death eaters on trial. By the end of lunch, everyone knew who it was. Malfoy and his friends are looking pretty sick right now.” Ron couldn't keep the grin off his face as he told Harry.
“Have any of them tried to do anything?” Harry asked.
“Nah, they're laying low at the moment. Draco especially has been using the threat of his father for years to get his way. There are now a lot of people who don't need to worry about what Draco's daddy is going to do to them in retaliation, very soon that snake is gonna realise his behaviour has gotten him in deep dragon sh*t. It’s the same for Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson; they are all hiding.”
“Did you use the map to find out where?” Harry asked
“Nah mate, just keeping out of it, but enjoying the show.” Ron was obviously very happy with everything.
“We should probably look them up, and check they aren't planning anything,” Harry said worried about what they could be plotting.
“No, we shouldn't. We can look them up in the map if you want but we can just tell Uncle Charlus where they are. He can either go check on them or get one of the other professors to do it. It's not like our first years when we had to do everything ourselves.“ Hermione said. And she was right, there was little point in butting their noses in where they were just going to get broken.
So that's what they did. The map was in Harry's trunk so they had to take a trip to Gryffindor tower and once the map was active it was easy to find the people they were looking for. Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson, and Flora and Hestia Carrow were all gathered together in one of the classrooms.
Charlus wasn't happy as he had already had a long day but agreed with Harry, Ron, and Hermione that a bunch of teens whose influential parents were probably going to Azkaban could easily be planning on doing something stupid. So he promised them he would look into it and make sure nothing came of it and then he sent them all down to dinner that was soon coming up.
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The third day in the witness waiting room was even more mind-numbingly boring than the first two. The worst part was Harry and Charlus weren’t even called in the end. So they had spent the whole day sitting there for nothing. The only perk was that once the defence rested their case they were permitted to go and watch the closing statements and see the verdict.
It was decided for Director Bones to give the closing speech first so she stood and turned to address the warlocks of the Wizengamot. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. An old saying that is rather appropriate in this case. Each of the defendants before you save for one has been here before and was found innocent because we accepted their word that they were under the Imperius curse. They were given a second chance and what did they do with it? Within minutes of their master returning they returned to his side. As Harry Potter said yesterday, returned before anyone had the opportunity to put them under any magical control. You now have a choice: do you repeat the mistake of years prior, or do we send these obvious death eaters to Azkaban where they belong?”
Next came one of the law wizards who was again acting on behalf of them all though it was a different one from the one Harry was questioned by yesterday. “We have heard a lot over the last two days, eye witness accounts, speculations, and even guesswork disguised as deduction. What I haven't heard once in that time is one bit of hard evidence that any of our clients weren't under the Imperius curse. Each of them told you how Peter Pettigrew disguised as a rat snuck into their homes in the week before the Restriction and placed them under the Imperius curse. That makes this a question of character. And I ask you to consider the character of these fine upstanding people. How many charities have they donated to in the years since the war? How much good and reputable business have they done? You have a choice here and it's not as the prosecutor would have you believe whether to let monsters go free or lock them away. No, the real choice is if you are going to see these victims and victimise them more, kick them when they are down, or will you offer them the help they need and deserve?”
Harry had to admit that both were good speeches. Dumbledore then stood up and addressed the Wizengamot members. “The defendants are charged with being accessories after the fact to the kidnapping of Harry James Potter, aiding in the assault and battery of Harry James Potter, resisting arrest, the willful murder of a number of our fine Aurors, and use of the unforgivable curses. In the interest of time, we will hold a group vote first. If there is significant division then we will tackle each defendant and charge individually. So if you intend to find all the defendants guilty on every single charge please raise and light your wands.”
Harry let out a sigh of relief when about three-quarters of the wands were raised in the air and lit. It apparently wasn't enough for Dumbledore or some arbitrary rule to let them skip the individual votes. It did paint a pretty clear picture of exactly how the votes were going to go.
Harry and Charlus watched as every single one of the death eaters was individually found guilty of all their crimes and were sentenced to life in Azkaban, the obligatory sentence for anyone convicted of using an unforgivable curse. Malfoy, Crabbe, Parkinson, Nott, Carrow, Carrow, and McNair. All of them were going away for life. The only one that was different was Pettigrew.
As an interested party, Charlus was given the opportunity to speak before he was sentenced, but Harry refused to speak on any of them.
“Warlocks as you can imagine I have no sympathy for Pettigrew. It will come as no surprise to you all that I am calling for the maximum possible sentence. The Dementors Kiss. In the case of Pettigrew, we aren't just talking about a death eater. We are talking about the man who sought out Voldemort and then did everything he could to bring the man back to power. We once more face a civil war, a second blood war, because of the actions of this one man. Lives shattered, houses broken. Pain, misery, and fear like we haven't seen for almost fifteen years. Already it has started, my own ward and her family were attacked by inferi. All of this was something Pettigrew knew would happen if he brought back Voldemort. It is the opinion of the Potter family that this ultimate betrayal of peace requires the ultimate price. The destruction of the soul of one Peter Pettigrew.” Charles’s speech was well delivered and it was no surprise that Pettigrew was sentenced to the Dementor’s Kiss for his crimes.
---ϟϟϟ---
When Harry and Charlus arrived back at the school there was already a buzz of excitement. The wizarding wireless network had covered the verdict and sentencing live on the radio so the whole castle already knew the results. They even knew something Harry and Charlus didn't as they had published a full list of the death eaters whose bodies had been found that night. Which explained why Couch Junior wasn't at the trial. He had died in the graveyard.
Neville in particular was in a good mood. Harry had asked him about it but he had just said that Crouch was his Pettigrew and Harry understood enough not to push.
Later in the evening, Harry was cornered by Alicia. “So Harry, is all the trial stuff done with?” She asked.
“Yeah it should be. They are all in prison now.” Harry said, wondering why she wanted to know.
“Good then we are holding Quidditch tryouts on Saturday. You know Weasley is going to try and keep her spot right?” Alicia cautioned him.
“Yeah I know. But that seeker position is mine and I'll be taking it back. Just because I couldn't play for a year doesn't mean I can't still fly rings around her.” Harry said, sounding a little co*ckier than he meant to.
“Well, that's good to hear. Just don't expect her to make it easy. You will need to bring your A-game next week.” Then she left to go tell Ginny when the tryouts were.
Harry however knew he needed some help. Specifically from Hermione so he went to find her. He was just in time to because she was about to go up to bed.
“Hey, Hermione,” Harry said putting on his friendliest smile as he called her.
She turned to look at him and with a little barely hidden smile of her own asked. “I know that smile. What do you want, Harry?”
“Well, Alicia has just told me it's Quidditch trials next week,” Harry said and Hermione nodded, waiting for him to get to the point. “And I haven't been on my broom a lot over the last year so I need to practise.”
“Which is more a Ron thing than a me thing so what is it you want?” Hermione encouraged him to continue.
“Well normally, yes. But I'm competing to get my spot back from Ron's sister so it's a bit awkward to ask him for help. Plus he is not the best person for the help I need. For what I need your. ..the best there is.”
Hermione smirked a little at how thick Harry was laying it on. “Okay, consider me buttered up, what is it you actually want?”
“More time to practise. And the best way to do that is to get my homework out of the way as fast as possible.”
“So you want me to help you do your homework as fast as possible this week?” Hermione finished off for him. Harry just nodded. “Fine, I'll help. Just don't expect me to do it for you.” With that, she gave him a quick kiss, wished him good night, and disappeared up the girls' stairs.
