===September 2 1993===
It was late the previous night when Harry and Hermione finally wrote their letter to Lucius. So when a letter dropped in front of Harry his first thought was it was Lucius' reply. That is until he saw the official Ministry seal on the missive.
"Might as well open it." Hermione says, looking at the seal.
Harry nods and breaks the seal. He feels a small surge of magic letting whomever sent it know he had opened it. He opens the letter and reads it.
Harry James Potter,
This letter is to inform you that you a charged with the destruction of Ministry property as you destroyed a dementor. Other charges will be added at your trial on September 4, 1993 at 8 A.M.
Signed,
Dolores Umbridge, Undersecretary to Minister of Magic
Harry sighs. "Looks like I need to contact Ted."
Hermione nods. "We'd better go talk to Professor McGonagall."
Harry nods as they both get up and head to McGonagall's office. As they get to her office they see her coming out. "Oh, I was just about to come find you. Lucius is here to talk to you."
"Thank you." Harry says, "I need to use your fireplace too, I need to contact Ted." He hands her the letter.
McGonagall sighs as she reads the letter then hands it back. "I'll write excuses for both of you."
They nod as they enter her office and find Lucius sitting there. "That was quick."
"We were on our way here about other business." Harry says.
"Can I help?" Lucius asks.
Harry hands him the letter. "I was going to contact our lawyer and get his advice."
"Your lawyer is Tonks, correct?" Lucius asks and Harry nods. "Then you're in good hands."
'Thanks." Harry says.
"Now, let's discuss your urgent summons."
"The ministry has dementors patrolling the school with no proof that Sirius Black even is thinking about coming here." Harry says. "One attacked Hermione on the train!"
"I take it that's the one you destroyed?"
"Of course."
Lucius laughs. "You should file charges against this Umbridge then, but I'd leave that to Tonks. Now I highly doubt that as the Board of Governors we can convince the Ministry to remove the dementors."
"Then teach us how to defend against them." Harry insists.
"We want there to be a voluntary class to learn the Patronus charm." Hermione says.
"That's a very advanced charm." Lucius says. "I'm not sure anyone in Hogwarts is qualified to teach it."
"Our defense teacher this year cast it in the train." Hermione says.
"At least this way some students would be able to protect themselves and others if something goes wrong." Harry says.
"The wards at Hogwarts are stronger than the ones on the Express." Lucius says. "I think you are jumping to conclusions."
Harry sighs. "So you're voting against?"
"I am," Lucius says. "I have a letter making me Hufflepuff's proxy, so Hufflepuff votes against."
"So we're tied." Harry says. "So who breaks the tie?"
Lucius looks at Harry, then Hermione and lastly McGonagall. "The assistant Headmaster here can do so, since she heard the conversation."
"I vote for it." McGonagall says. "Myself and Professor Flitwick can assist Professor Lupin if necessary." Everyone nods. "I'll inform the Headmaster. You two go and see Ted, especially since you only have a few days until the trial."
"Thank you very much." Hermione says.
===September 4, 1993===
Dolores Umbridge is not a nice woman, she's made a living of ruining the lives of those she deems lesser than her. Mudbloods, the horrible muggle children that were stealing magic from her precious purebloods. Today she had one of the bastard spawn in her sight. The house of Potter, once one of the greatest pureblood houses, forgot what was important and allowed their scion to breed with a mudblood.
The report that this filthy creature somehow destroyed one of her precious dementors angers her to no end. So she used all of her clout to rush these charges to trial. A wicked grin crosses her face as she imagines snapping Potter's wand and obliviating him.
#####
Harry and Hermione along with Ted walk into the courtroom. Harry and Hermione both openly wear their heir robes. Hermione also put a little gel in Harry's hair so that his scar was visible to everyone.
They are immediately confronted by Umbridge, a toad-faced woman in a pink suit. "You can't bring an entourage in here!" She screeches.
Ted steps between Harry and the woman. "I'm Ted Tonks, I'm Mr Potter's lawyer. Until the proceedings have started you will direct all questions and comments to me."
"Who's the girl?"
"Hermione Granger, Mister Potter's betrothed and an important witness." Ted answers.
"A mudblood witness! Why I never!"
"Ma'am, I must ask you to refrain from using such vulgar language." Ted says.
"I'm Undersecretary Umbridge and I'll use what language I like!"
A judge comes into the room and sits. "I'm Judge Morris, you may begin."
Umbridge looks at the judge surprised. "Where's Judge Reese?"
"He's unavailable today." Judge Morris states.
Umbridge grinds her teeth, she didn't know this judge, or anything about him. Add to that Potter walking in with a mudblood on his arm and reporters following him. "In that case I'd like to move the trial."
"Objection your honor!" Ted says. "My client was sent an official letter from the Ministry stating the trial would be today."
"Sustained." Morris says. "Madam Undersecretary, you had requested the trial as quickly as possible so this is it."
"I requested the trial with Judge Reese." Umbridge states. "Not some judge I don't know!"
Morris bangs his gavel. "I'm the judge you get, now either read your charges or dismiss them."
"On September 1st our dementors were doing their duty by stopping the Hogwarts Express and checking for the escaped prisoner: Sirius Black. During this check Mister Potter somehow destroyed one of the dementors. As the dementors are irreplaceable I suggest he forfeit any and all money in his vaults! Also since he clearly abused the underage use of magic guidelines he should have his wand snapped!" Umbridge grins as she says the last word. It delighted her to no end to take magic away from these mudbloods.
"Defense?"
Ted steps forward. "Mister Potter was protecting his betrothed Hermione Granger. The dementor was attacking her."
"As it should!" Umbridge exclaims. "The mudblood should receive the kiss for interfering with the dementors!"
"I demand Undersecretary Umbridge be censured for using vulgar slang." Ted says.
The judge bangs his gavel. "Undersecretary Umbridge, this is a warning, I will hold you in contempt of court."
"Mister Potter and Miss Granger both have provided me with memories of the incident." Ted says. "The train stopped and the dementors came on. Their handler was nowhere in sight. Nobody announced that they were part of the Ministry."
"Madam Undersecretary, where were the handlers?" Morris asks.
Umbridge hesitates, knowing full well that the pure blood families had been warned of this and their children were told what cars to be in. The handlers were those cars protecting them. So what if a mudblood or two got kissed? The ittle thieves deserved it. "You would have to ask the handlers." She finally says.
"You're the one that signed off on this, so you are responsible for their actions." Morris says. "What if someone had been kissed?'
"The mudblood would have deserved it!" Umbridge cries out gleefully.
Morris bangs his gavel. "Madam Undersecretary! I'm holding you in contempt!"
After a moment Ted speaks again. "As the Undersecretary has shown she had no concern for the students on the train it sounds like it was a good thing my clients were there to try and protect them."
"How exactly were two third year students going to do that?" Umbridge asks.
"They were trained as mageknights over the summer by Malachi Meris, who is waiting outside." Ted says.
"Let him in." Judge Morris says.
Malachi enters the room dressed in normal wizard robes, except the left sleeve of his robe is pinned up around the stump of his left arm. Umbridge immediately jumps up. "So you trained these children?" She asks.
"I did." Malachi answers. "You'll find I have all the paperwork filled out for me to be a private tutor as a mageknight." Malachi says.
Ted hands the Judge the forms. "Here are Mister Meris' credentials, including a copy of his registration to be a private tutor. Also copies of the forms sent to the ministry telling them he was tutoring Mister Potter and Miss Granger."
"What does any of this have to do with them thinking they should defend the train?" Umbridge asks.
"The first thing a mageknight learns is to defend those who can't defend themselves." Malachi answers.
"As the train is carrying first year students, scattered throughout the train they felt obligated to defend them." Ted says.
Umbridge growls. "That does not give them permission to use magic!"
Ted sighs as he pulls out Hermione's blue lineage stone. "I hold in my hand the proof that Hermione Granger is the direct descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw."
Harry wished he had a camera to catch the look on Umbridge's at that exact second. "And in this hand," Ted says as he pulls out Harry's stone. "Is the proof that Harry Potter is the descendant of Godric Gryffindor."
Umbridge falls backwards into her seat, pale as a ghost. Ted continues, "these stones will prove that these two are the heirs of their respective bloodlines. Therefore they are partially emancipated, allowing them to cast magic in their homes, in their own defense or in the defense of another."
"This information was not made available to me." Umbridge says.
"Madam Undersecretary, I filed all the appropriate paperwork, if you had done a formal inquiry it would have led you to me and I would have given you the information." Ted says.
"Madam Undersecretary, did you file charges without a formal inquiry?" The judge asks.
"Yes, but why was this information not public knowledge?" Umbridge asks.
"There is no law requiring that." Ted says, "and they didn't want the attention."
"Is there anything else?" Judge Morris asks.
"Yes," Ted says. "Mr Potter would like to file charges against Undersecretary Umbridge. Since a formal inquiry would have solved all this, yet we had to come here. Also, it seems like she was trying to railroad my client by making the trial as quick as possible. If I wasn't already Mister Potter's lawyer he would have had a hard time finding one in such short time."
Umbridge growls, that had been her exact plan, now this mudblood lawyer was calling her out. She mumbles outloud. "I'm going get these mudbloods."
"What was that, Madam Undersecretary?" Morris asks.
"I didn't say anything." Umbridge says.
Morris points his gavel at Umbridge. "Prior vobire!"
"I'm going to get these mudbloods." Umbridge repeats loudly.
Judge Morris scowls. "Dolores Umbridge, you are hereby to be held while every case you have worked on is reviewed. You have not only shown contempt of court you have outright threatened the defendant. You are temporarily stripped of your position and title until the review us . Any money in your vaults will be used to pay Heir Potter's legal costs, and the legal costs of reviewing those cases."
"Sir, how am I supposed to live?" Umbridge asks.
"How did you expect Heir Potter, excuse me Heir Gryffindor, to live if you emptied his vaults AND snapped his wand?" Judge Morris asks.
"I…." Umbridge stops herself from answering.
"Should I order her wand snapped?" Judge Morris asks.
"Well.." Ted starts to say.
"I'm not asking you. I'm asking, Heir Gryffindor and Heir Ravenclaw."
"She has shown clear contempt of court." Hermione says. "But I'm not sure that justifies snapping her wand. I'd suggest some time in Azkaban to reflect on her actions."
Judge Morris nods then looks at Harry. "She was trying to snap my wand, so I think she deserves the kind of punishment she was willing to put out." Harry says.
"Interesting, I honestly expected that since you two are a couple your stances would be identical."
"They are on the majority of issues." Harry says.
"On others we just agree to disagree." Hermione says. "After all, having different opinions can lead to interesting conversations."
Judge Morris nods. "Harry Potter I find you innocent of all charges and you are free to go." He clears his throat. "Dolores Umbridge, for contempt of court and clear lack of care for life I'm suspending you from your position and ordering a complete review of all cases you have been on."