Courtroom ten was a roar of chatter as people waited for the trails to begin. Harry looked around from the seat he had been directed to near the front. As one of the key witnesses to the recent actions of the Order of the Phoenix and its allies he had been directed to one of the seats closest to the action. Sarah and Hannah were with him as was Susan.
Scanning the crowd, Harry could see a good few other students and their families; Neville, Katie, Daphne and Astoria, Tracey, Lee, Bianca, Geoffrey, Pansy, Luna, Natalie, Seamus, Dean, Ernie, Justin, Hermione, Terry, Michael, Anthony, Ron and all of his siblings except Bill… It had been easy to get wound up in how Dumbledore's actions had affected him, but now he realised just how far reaching the consequences of those actions were.
Harry had, of course, been affected most, given how it was his memories that were obliviated and his behaviour changed so that he would listen to Dumbledore again, but hand in hand with that went the mass-drugging of all of the students of Hogwarts so that they would just automatically believe that this change in character had happened and not question it.
Those who had escaped the initial dosage had been hunted down by The Order…
The people gathered were clearly furious and wanted answers. Through their actions The Order of the Phoenix had directed the ire of nearly every single Wizarding Family against them. In some sections of the muggle world, there would be people on the Wizengamot who would be asked to step aside for the duration of the trial so as to avoid a conflict of interests in determining a verdict. To Harry's mind however, if they were to undertake such a practice here today, the entire Wizengamot would have to step aside. Worse, there likely would be no one that they could ask to step in in their place; such was the far reaching scope of the Order's actions.
There were reporters too. Already they were scribbling furiously with quills on parchment, no doubt determined to paint a clear picture of the atmosphere in the courtroom before the trail had even begun.
Looking up to the Wizengamot seats, Harry noticed a few empty spaces. He asked Sarah about it.
She chuckled ruefully. "Noticed that did you? Well, some of those seats are empty in reverence for some of the old families that are no longer around. At the back there are the seats belonging to the Ancient and Noble houses."
Harry directed his eyes to the back and saw Edward and a few others sitting in that row, though some of the seats were empty.
"Amelia is the chief prosecutor today," explained Sarah. "That's why the Bones' seat is empty. Edward is acting as her proxy. You can see Augusta Longbottom up there as well."
Harry nodded upon spotting the elderly matriarch of the Longbottom family. It had taken him a moment to realise who she was because he had never seen her without her trademark hat with a stuffed vulture perched on top.
Sarah went on "The other seats with people in them belong to the houses of Crickerly, Evermonde, Lufkin, McPhail, Minchum, Moon, Spavin, Spencer and Stump. The other empty seats are the Black seat, which Sirius should be able to reclaim once he is officially cleared. Then there are the seats for the Founders of Hogwarts; Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Then there's the Gamp seat – Ulick Gamp was the first Minister for Magic, you know? He founded the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during his time in office. And then of course there are the McKinnon and Meadowes seats. Oh and there's one left… Of course, it's the Potter seat. You'll be able to claim that once you're of age."
"So does someone vote by proxy for the Potter seat?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Amelia. "Unfortunately it used to be Dumbledore."
"Damn," muttered Harry. "What about those other vacant seats?"
"I believe there was a stalemate over the Black seat," explained Sarah. "Narcissa Malfoy has tried claiming it several times but some argued she was too far removed from the main line while others were opposed to having the seat effectively in the hands of the Malfoy family. Dumbledore tried to claim proxy over the seat, but that wasn't popular either. In the end it was left as an abandoned seat. For the others, their family lines have ended and no one can currently claim to own the seat so it is determined that they do not need a proxy.
"What about the other empty seats?" asked Harry.
"Some of those are also from extinct families; Gaunt, Dippett, Leech, Fenwick, Crowdy, Flack… The Crouch Family only became extinct a few months ago. Some of the other empty seats are ones formerly owned by people who are in Azkaban; such as the Lestrange seat and the Rookwood seat. Then there are the Malfoys. They used to have a seat, but one of their ancestors was caught engaging in a bit of Muggle baiting. It is to the never ending shame of Lucius that his family were kicked out of the Wizengamot over it.
"And then there are the more recent vacancies. The capture of Severus Snape caused a lot of people to panic. No one have seen anything of the Avery, Nott, Montague, Higginbottom, McGhie, Rowle and Yaxley families in several days. Their failure to show up here only proves that they've decided to run for it. Then we have those who are on trial; the Doge and Vance families are down to just one member each and both were arrested at Hogwarts. The McGonagall family also have a seat, but Minerva has always refused it and allowed Dumbledore to vote for her by proxy."
"Really?" asked Harry in surprise.
"Of all the people loyal to Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall's level of devotion concerns us the most," Sarah explained. "She has already been sent to the care of the Mind Healers at St Mungo's Hospital and I wouldn't be at all surprised if a few more members of The Order end up going the same way once is said and done here."
Any further questions that Harry may have had were stopped when the voice of The Minister for Magic called out loudly.
"Order! Order, please!"
The courtroom quieted down. Harry looked up at the Minister and saw that Dolores Umbridge was back at his side, something which Harry found oddly comforting.
"Now," began Fudge, standing up so as to make sure that everyone in the courtroom could see him. "As you are no doubt aware, a little over two years ago a prisoner by the name of Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban Prison and has been on the run ever since. However, new evidence has been brought to light, evidence that I was heretofore unaware of. It has been brought to my attention that under the actions of my predecessor, Minister Millicent Bagnold, and the former director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch Snr, both now sadly deceased, that Sirius Black did not receive a proper trail before the Wizengamot, as is his right as a wizard, and as the heir to a Noble and Ancient House.
"Last night, Senior Aurors John Dawlish and Bertram Savage happened upon Sirius Black in Hogsmeade and apprehended him. Black willingly complied with a questioning session carried out by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, and Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour. They now have reason to believe that he may in fact be innocent."
As shocked murmur rose in the courtroom, causing Fudge to raise his voice in order to be heard as he went on "Therefore, our first order of business for today is to carry out the trial that my predecessor denied to Mr Black. Aurors, bring him in!"
Harry noted the Minister's political spin, making sure that any blame that should arise should Sirius be found innocent would be directed at Millicent Bagnold and Bartemius Crouch Snr. Though to be entirely honest, Harry agreed that the blame did lie with them. Fudge could only act on the information that he had, after all.
The doors at the back of the room were opened and Sirius, his arms locked in chains though his legs were free, walked inside, surrounded in a ring of seven Aurors led by Dawlish.
Harry and his godfather managed to make eye contact with each other as the older man passed and Harry tried to convey the message that everything would be ok.
Sirius was sat in a wooden seat in the middle of the courtroom and the chains attached to it wrapped themselves around his arms and torso.
It may have been fourteen years overdue, but the trial of Sirius Black had finally begun.
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