**Author's note**
Sorry for this late chapter. I totally forgot to schedule it. Happy reading. 3 chapters more for the part of the trial to end.
****************************************************
Dudley's eyes darted nervously around the room as he took in the crowd. The Wizengamot members watched him intently.
This was one of Harry's Muggle family. One of the key witnesses to this case.
Dudley's attention saw Harry in the cage. Although his cousin was trapped inside, the deadly, scary face of Harry caused Dudley to take a step back.
He wanted to run, get away from him.
But the Auror accompanying him stopped and assured him that he was completely safe. Finally, Dudley reached and entered the witness stand.
Fudge began the second part of the trial. "State your name for the record."
"Dudley Dursley," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.
"Mr. Dursley, you may recount the events of the night in question," instructed Fudge, his eyes fixed on Dudley.
Dudley hesitated, glancing nervously at the cage where Harry stood.
Dudley took a deep breath, seemingly mustering the courage to speak. His eyes avoided Harry's, focusing on a distant point in the chamber.
"It was... it was just a normal night," Dudley began, his voice shaky. "We were at home, my parents and I. Nothing unusual. And then... then he appeared." Dudley's gaze flickered briefly toward Harry, a shiver running down his spine.
The chamber remained silent, the Wizengamot waiting for Dudley to continue.
Dudley swallowed hard before continuing, his eyes now fixed on the floor. "He just... he just appeared out of thin air. I didn't even see him coming. One moment, I was in the living room, and the next... he was there."
Dudley raised his eyes at the cage to see the reaction of Harry. What he saw were the most murderous eyes he had ever gazed upon.
Even with the cage holding Harry and all the wizards all around, Dudley felt like he was going to get killed by Harry. At that moment, his body remembered the pain he felt when Harry branded his wand at him.
The Auror by Dudley's side, noticing Dudley's visible fear, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're safe here, Mr. Dursley. Harry Potter is securely contained, and no harm will come to you. Please continue with your testimony."
Cornelius Fudge, observing Dudley's distress, intervened with a stern gaze at Harry. "Mr. Potter, any attempts to intimidate the witness will not be tolerated. You will remain silent unless instructed otherwise."
Dudley nodded hesitantly, calming his nerves with the support of the Auror by his side.
"After my parents ordered him to get outside and leave, but he... he raised his wand and pointed it at my mother." Dudley's voice trembled as he recalled the harrowing events.
"He... he raised his wand and pointed it at my mother," Dudley continued, his eyes still fixed on the floor.
"And then," Dudley's voice delayed, "a green light left his wand and struck my mother, sending her flying back. She fell to the ground, not moving," Dudley recounted, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes, once again, darted towards Harry.
Harry was no longer looking at him, but Dudley still felt unsafe.
The Ministry of Magic prompted Dudley to continue. "And what happened next, Mr. Dursley?"
Dudley took a shaky breath, reliving the traumatic memory.
"He... Harry then turned towards my father. He used the exact same green magic on my father." Dudley's hands were visibly trembling, and his voice was shaky. "He killed my father... I couldn't move. I was paralyzed with fear. And then he... approached me, raised his wand again," Dudley stammered, struggling to articulate the horrifying moments. "I thought I was going to die. But then, he told me that he would not kill me so easily. I begged him... begged him to stop, but he did not. He pointed his wand at me and then... and then."
Dudley could not continue. The pain from that spell that Harry had cast was still vivid to him.
As Dudley struggled to find the words to continue, Cornelius Fudge, sensing the distress in the witness, decided to intervene.
"That's enough, Mr. Dursley," Fudge declared, seeing that the evidence was already enough.
"We appreciate your testimony. It is clear that Mr. Potter used the Unforgivable Curse on you, subjecting you to the Cruciatus Curse."
Now, even those who were previously hoping this was a lie could no longer argue. From this single witness, the atmosphere in the chamber changed completely. Almost everyone was now condemning Harry Potter.
"Members of the Wizengamot, we have heard the testimony of the victim, and it is evident that Harry Potter has committed a grave crime. The killing of two Muggles using the Killing Curse and the torture of a third Muggle by the Cruciatus Curse is a blatant violation of magical law. We must proceed with the trial to ensure justice is served."
Fudge turned his attention back to Dudley, dismissing him from the witness stand. "You may step down, Mr. Dursley. Thank you for your cooperation."
Dudley, visibly shaken, got up and was about to exit the witness stand when a feminine voice was heard.
"Wait a minute."
Cornelius Fudge turned around to see that it was Amelia Bones who had spoken. The well-known Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement addressed the room.
"Thank you, Mr. Dudley, for sharing the account of the incident. However, I believe there may be crucial details that have not been fully explored."
Fudge looked at her with puzzlement. What was she on about?
"Ms. Bones, the boy has already testified that Harry Potter used the Unforgivable Curse. What more do you propose we investigate?"
Amelia Bones acknowledged Fudge's statement but insisted, "I agree with you, Minister, that the use of the Unforgivable Curse has been established. However, I sense there might be additional layers to this crime that have not been uncovered. It would be prudent to delve into the exact occurrences of the incident by accessing the memories directly from the witness."
Dumbledore felt happy upon hearing Amelia. She was known for being just. Maybe with her here, they could unravel the real truth.
Fudge, skeptical but willing to maintain an appearance of fairness, asked, "Are you suggesting we use Legilimency on the witness, Mr. Dursley?"
Amelia shook her head. "No, Minister. I believe a memory extraction will be more effective. This way, everyone present can witness exactly what happened that night. We can use the special Pensieve that we have here at the Ministry."
The proposal from the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement pleased many of the members of the Wizengamot.
Fudge, after a moment of hesitation, gave a reluctant nod upon seeing the number of wizards who gave murmurs of agreement.
"Very well, if this will provide clarity and ensure justice, we shall proceed with the memory extraction."