"You are Harry Potter, who lives at Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, correct?"
As Fudge spoke, he glared at Harry with a fierce, stern look.
But fortunately, the arrival of Link and Dumbledore gave Harry enough courage. He met Fudge's eyes bravely and said, "Yes."
"You received an official warning from the Ministry of Magic a few years ago for the illegal use of magic, didn't you?"
"That's right, but..."
"And even though you clearly understood the related prohibition clauses from reading that warning, on the evening of August second, you once again, while still an underage wizard, cast a Patronus spell in front of a Muggle, correct?"
"Yes," Harry's confidence weakened a little under that questioning. "But I only used magic because..."
He had just started speaking when a witch wearing a monocle interrupted him loudly, "You conjured a fully formed corporeal Patronus?"
"A… what?"
Harry asked, confused.
"It means your Patronus didn't appear as mist or vapor, but as a clearly shaped creature?"
"Yes," Harry said, starting to sound impatient. "It was a stag, same one every time."
"Every time? You've conjured a Patronus before?"
"Of course. Professor Lupin taught me how. It took a lot of effort."
"You're only fifteen, and you've already learned the Patronus Charm at school?" The witch sounded a bit astonished. "That's remarkable."
As they spoke, the expressions of the neutral faction members of the Wizengamot softened a little when they looked at Harry.
Naturally so, after all, the Patronus Charm was one of the most advanced defensive spells in white magic, a symbol of goodness and righteousness since ancient times.
For a long time, the ability to cast one had even been one of the requirements for joining the Wizengamot. That rule was gone now, but it didn't stop the council members from feeling a bit more favorably toward Harry.
At the same time, many of them also turned their eyes toward Link.
It was instinct, they were comparing Harry to Link, the "most gifted young wizard of their time."
But they quickly looked away and hid it well, because they knew the two weren't comparable at all.
In their minds, Harry was a pure-hearted, well-meaning young candidate for the Wizengamot, whereas Link… Link was a dangerous figure with a tendency toward darkness.
His existence could one day threaten not just the Ministry but the entire magical world of Britain.
His terrifying record in the past, and the fact that he couldn't produce a Patronus at all, had already proven it.
"This isn't about how impressive the magic was,"
Fudge's angry voice cut through the thoughts of the room. "In fact, the more impressive it was, the worse! Because he did it in front of a Muggle!"
As soon as he said it, the councilors seated near Fudge immediately echoed him.
Many of the neutral members nodded slightly too, not because they supported Fudge, but because they thought Harry was too impulsive and disrespectful of the law, that he needed a bit of discipline, for his own good.
But their reactions only made Harry more anxious.
He almost leapt out of his chair, blurting, "I only did it because of Dementors!"
"Dementors? What do you mean by that?"
It was Madam Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, sitting just below Fudge, who frowned as she asked.
"I mean there were two Dementors that tried to attack me and my cousin!"
"Dementors in Little Whinging?" Bones was shocked.
"I don't understand. As far as I know, all Dementors are bound to Azkaban by oath. Without orders from the Ministry, they would never leave."
"You don't understand, Amelia?" Fudge said with a mocking smile.
"Let me explain. Harry Potter has always been on bad terms with the Muggle family who raised him. Out of revenge, he often uses certain tricks to attack those poor Muggles."
"The last time we sent him a written warning was because he used magic during an incident involving his aunt. I believe this time was for the same reason."
"Of course, he's been cleverer this time. You know Muggles can't see Dementors. So now he's come up with a perfect excuse, no one can prove that there weren't Dementors there. This way, he gets to scare his cousin for revenge and still earn his gratitude. Brilliant, isn't it?"
After speaking, Fudge glanced smugly toward the neutral faction's seats.
Many of the members were now frowning and whispering to one another, occasionally glancing at Harry, who was trembling with anger.
Fudge couldn't have been more pleased.
He'd just summarized Harry's supposed motive, method, and alibi, clearly and logically.
Any goodwill the neutral members had felt for Harry because of the Patronus had now been erased.
In this situation, Fudge was confident that even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to turn things around.
After all, weeks ago, he had removed Dumbledore from the Wizengamot under his authority as Minister. Dumbledore had no real power left now.
Old friendships alone wouldn't make the neutral members abandon the facts for Harry Potter's sake.
Those neutral members were, by nature, principled and incorruptible, otherwise they wouldn't still be neutral.
Feeling reassured, Fudge glanced provocatively at Link, then looked toward Dumbledore.
Unfortunately for him, the expression he wanted to see wasn't on Dumbledore's face.
"Ahem."
Suddenly, Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the entire courtroom fell silent.
"As a matter of fact, we do have a witness who can confirm that Dementors did appear in that alley," Dumbledore said.
"I mean someone other than Harry's cousin. I brought her here today. She's waiting outside. Shall I..."
"Enough, Dumbledore!" Fudge interrupted sharply, looking a little panicked.
"We don't have time for this nonsense. I'd prefer to get this simple, straightforward case over with quickly. The Wizengamot members are very busy, you know!"
"But as I recall, according to the Charter of the Wizengamot's Rights, the accused is entitled to call witnesses in their defense, isn't that correct? That's Department of Magical Law Enforcement policy."
Dumbledore spoke calmly, then turned his eyes to Madam Bones.
"That's correct. Let her in," Bones said, ignoring Fudge entirely.
At that, quite a few people, including Link, smiled.
They'd just realized that Fudge's control over the Ministry and the Wizengamot wasn't as absolute as it seemed.
At least Amelia Bones, as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, clearly wasn't inclined to obey him blindly. Probably because Fudge had bypassed her department entirely in convening this trial.
BOOM!
The heavy doors opened and closed again.
An old woman in eccentric clothes and thick, fluffy slippers, completely out of place for midsummer, slowly made her way to Dumbledore's side.
She looked terrified, which wasn't surprising. Few could stay calm under the stern gaze of so many powerful people, especially knowing what kind of power and authority they wielded.
Dumbledore gave up his seat and gently pressed her down into it, which helped calm her nerves enough for her to speak coherently.
"Who's that?"
Old Barty leaned toward Link and muttered just loudly enough for the two of them to hear.
Link glanced at him and said without turning his head, "Harry Potter's neighbor. Dumbledore probably placed her there to watch over and protect him, an outer member of the Order of the Phoenix."
Barty nodded and fell silent. He knew that if Dumbledore had brought her here, everything must have been prepared thoroughly.
Still, this trial was something he'd waited decades for, and even someone as experienced as him couldn't help but feel tense, hence his question to Link.
"Full name?"
Fudge barked the question. The old woman, who had just sat down, flinched and stammered,
"Arabella Doreen Figg."
"And who exactly are you?"
"I live in Little Whinging, right next to Harry Potter."
Fudge turned to Bones, who flipped through the case file before frowning and saying, "According to our records, aside from Harry Potter, there are no witches or wizards living in Little Whinging. We can guarantee that, the area is under strict surveillance."
"I'm a Squib!"
Mrs. Figg, who had been timid before, suddenly straightened up and snapped, "That's why you wouldn't have me on your list, isn't it?"
"A Squib?" Fudge eyed her skeptically. "We'll verify that. You can tell my assistant Weasley about your parents later."
Then he turned back to Bones. "By the way, can Squibs see Dementors?"
At that, a wave of laughter swept through the room, even the councilors near Link wore mocking smiles.
"Who knows? No one's ever bothered to study something so trivial," Bones said expressionlessly.
She wasn't wrong. The people in this room, though learned and powerful, truly couldn't answer that question.
After all, in magical society, Squibs ranked even lower than Muggles.
Muggles were protected by the Statute of Secrecy, but a Squib without a strong family behind them was neither one thing nor the other, belonging nowhere.
"Yes, we can see them!" Mrs. Figg said angrily.
Bones raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that. And frankly, in the current situation, it's difficult to take your word at face value. You are, after all, a witness introduced by Dumbledore."
"Normally, he should have notified the Department of Magical Law Enforcement first, and we would have interviewed you ourselves and presented you as a witness for the prosecution. So technically, you don't qualify as a proper witness, and your testimony is unreliable."
"Exactly! That's right!" Fudge agreed loudly, his face flushed with excitement.
"But..."
Before he could say more, Bones interrupted again. "However, given that you're being vouched for by Dumbledore and considering the special nature of this case, we'll give you a chance."
She snapped her fingers, and from the dark corner of the courtroom emerged a figure cloaked head to toe in gray.
The figure carried a wand and placed a Pensieve in front of everyone, then nodded toward Bones.
"This is a specially made Pensieve," Bones explained.
"It can display a memory for everyone to see. Our memory specialist will extract the memory of the event from you and show it here."
"However, since you're a Squib, there will be side effects. Your memory and even your brain might suffer damage afterward. In the worst case, you could end up… mindless."
"Even so, are you willing?"
Bones's voice was cold and sharp. Though she addressed Mrs. Figg, her eyes were fixed on Dumbledore.
Dumbledore lowered his head slightly, as if hesitating.
"I'm willing!"
Mrs. Figg's voice burst out, trembling but determined. She struggled to her feet, looked at Harry and Dumbledore, then glared fiercely at the rows of council members seated above her.
"Do it! I'll prove it to all of you!"
"Arabella…"
Dumbledore said softly, and Harry whispered, "Mrs. Figg…" beside him.
But Mrs. Figg was unexpectedly resolute. She waved them off and stood firmly before the Pensieve.
"This is… absurd! It completely violates procedure!" Fudge shouted.
"It's completely in line with Article 87 of the Charter of Wizengamot Rights and Article 145 of the Magical Citizens' Rights Act!" Bones shot back, her voice rising.
"Minister Fudge, I must remind you, I am the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm far more qualified than you when it comes to the law!"
Fudge fell silent. His red face turned bluish with rage. For a moment, he'd thought Bones was going to support him. If Mrs. Figg's testimony were purely verbal, he could easily discredit it on various grounds.
But now...
"Begin!"
At Bones's command, the gray-robed wizard pressed his wand against Mrs. Figg's temple.
With a shimmer of magical light and Mrs. Figg's pained groan, a silvery thread was drawn from her head and placed into the Pensieve.
Hum~
The basin flared with light, and a slightly blurry scene appeared, magnified by the gray-robed wizard for all to see.
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