Chapter 3 - The Feast and Other Matters

The whole hall was silent. You could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on Harry, who had gone a few shades paler than before, which was near impossible to achieve. Even Dumbledore didn't know what to say. Of course, he knew the details of the Third Task, but most people didn't. Even Ron and Hermione didn't know the details, just that Voldemort was resurrected and that Wormtail had killed Cedric.

“ Please join me in my office. I would prefer not to discuss this in front of the children,” stated Dumbledore, his normally twinkling eyes dulling slightly. The men looked at each other and conferred in quiet voices. Eventually, the spokesman cleared his throat and turned to a waiting Dumbledore.

“ We will go to your office, but I warn you Professor, we have orders to arrest the boy and we're not leaving without him. There is nothing you can say to change our minds,” and turning to scan the room, his eyes locking on Harry, he continued, “ The boy will come with us now. We can't leave him here with the rest of the children. Who knows when he might try something again?”

That said one of the dark robed men advanced on a now shaking Harry, and grabbed him by the arm. Ron and Hermione could only watch in horror as their friend was dragged out of the Great Hall, a lost and dazed look on his face. As soon as the doors closed behind them, a rash of whispers broke out in the Hall. Despite her best efforts, Professor McGonagall was unable to stop the noise. Eventually giving up, she swept out of the hall to find out what was happening to her House member.

Up in Dumbledore's office things were not going too well. Harry had been restrained in magical chains as soon as the Hall doors had closed. He had to be levitated up to the office as he had been quite unable to move. Dumbledore was furious. Never in all his years as headmaster of Hogwarts had Aurors arrested a student. It was unheard of. Stomping over to his desk chair he sat himself down and gestured for the Aurors to do the same.

“ Now, gentleman, I demand an explanation. How could you just walk into the Hall like that, in front of all the children, and claim that young Harry Potter is a murderer! Arresting an innocent boy is not acceptable. Who sent you?” Dumbledore had long since lost the calm he was so famous for. He didn't often get angry, but what these men were saying about Harry was unacceptable.

“ Professor, we have reason to believe that the charges of murder are valid. Minister Fudge has informed us that the child is quite disturbed and should have been in St. Mungos' mental ward several years ago. From what I hear he blacks out regularly and babbles about You-Know-Who running around again. Honestly, Dumbledore, how can you defend the child? The Triwizard Tournament ended with a dead body and the boy ranting about the Dark Lord.”

Dumbledore had lost the last spark in his eyes after the Auror's explanation. Fudge was trying to get rid of Harry. He was still blind to the threat of the newly risen Voldemort, and was trying to justify Cedric's death by pinning it on Harry. But what could he do? No amount of reasoning with Fudge would change his mind, and hexing the Minister for Magic was a one way ticket to Azkaban. The only thing he could do was to wait for the trial and hope they used Veritaserum on Harry. It was the only way of getting the truth, and it would give the Ministry undeniable evidence that Voldemort was indeed back. With a resigned look on his face, he turned to the Aurors, who were giving Harry contemptuous looks.

“ Thank you. I'll be there,” and with that he shot a sympathetic look at Harry, who was staring unseeingly at the ceiling, and showed the Aurors to the door. After all, there was nothing else he could do.

As soon as the Aurors left there was a knock on the door. Dumbledore called a half-hearted “come in” and looked up to see Minerva McGonagall staring at him, a questioning look on her face.

“ We'll just have to pray the he doesn't find out until after the trial. If he knows about it he'll insist on being there, and it's too dangerous for him to just walk into the Ministry of Magic building.”

“ Sir, what happened to Harry? He didn't kill anyone, and all the students are spreading nasty rumours already, and Harry can't go to Azkaban `cause he hasn't done anything, and you know what sort of reaction he has to Dementors,” Hermione cried breathlessly. Snape gave her a disdainful glare, but Dumbledore looked at her in sympathy.

“ Calm yourself, Miss Granger, you're going to hyperventilate,” turning to Snape he asked, “ Severus, could you gather the teachers please, and send the students to their common rooms? They can finish the feast there. I only want to explain this once.”

Snape glared mildly at the headmaster and stalked out of the room. Dumbledore gestured for Ron and Hermione to take a seat and to wait for the other teachers. It was going to be a long night.

Harry didn't know what to think. He had been accused of murder, bound, dragged to Dumbledore's office, and now thrown in a cell. From what he could gather it was a holding cell under the Ministry of Magic building. The Aurors had told him that he would be held there until his trial, and that the Minister for Magic would be paying him a visit. After that the Auror came over and took his wand away, giving a disapproving glare to the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry had been there a few hours, lost in his guilt and thinking to himself that this was what he deserved, and that he should have seen it coming, when the cell door opened and Cornelius Fudge swaggered in. He was wearing his usual gaudy outfit and bowler hat, and had a smug look on his face.

“ Well, well, well, if it isn't the once proud and famous Harry Potter. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The press will have a field day when they find out that the Saviour of the wizarding world is nothing but murderous scum. You're no better than You-Know-Who. I'll finally put an end to your ranting and raving about the Dark Lord returning. Trying to start a mass panic, were you? Or did you just feel the need to get a little more attention. Well, I'm telling you, Potter, there is no way you can get out of this one. You're going to Azkaban where you belong, and there's nothing that fool Dumbledore can do about it.”

Having said his piece, Fudge stood back and waited for Harry to respond. All he got in answer was a glazed glance. After a few minutes he began to get impatient and snapped out, “ Answer me, you filth. When the Minister for Magic asks you a question, you answer it.”

The Minister huffed at this, and turned to leave. Harry continued to stare blankly at the wall, ignoring all that was going on around him, not coming out of his reverie until a guard came a few days later to take him to his trial. The trial of the century. The trial of the Boy-Who-Lived.


	Luna the Moon Monster's Fanfiction Archive \| home Chapter 1 - Holiday Blues \| Chapter 2 - The Train \| Chapter 3 - The Feast and Other Matters \| Chapter 4 - The Trial \| Chapter 5 - Azkaban and the Only Way Out \| Epilogue Chapter 3 - The Feast and Other Matters “ On behalf of the Ministry of Magic I hereby order the immediate arrest of one Harry Potter on the charge of murder.” The whole hall was silent. You could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on Harry, who had gone a few shades paler than before, which was near impossible to achieve. Even Dumbledore didn't know what to say. Of course, he knew the details of the Third Task, but most people didn't. Even Ron and Hermione didn't know the details, just that Voldemort was resurrected and that Wormtail had killed Cedric. “ Please join me in my office. I would prefer not to discuss this in front of the children,” stated Dumbledore, his normally twinkling eyes dulling slightly. The men looked at each other and conferred in quiet voices. Eventually, the spokesman cleared his throat and turned to a waiting Dumbledore. “ We will go to your office, but I warn you Professor, we have orders to arrest the boy and we're not leaving without him. There is nothing you can say to change our minds,” and turning to scan the room, his eyes locking on Harry, he continued, “ The boy will come with us now. We can't leave him here with the rest of the children. Who knows when he might try something again?” That said one of the dark robed men advanced on a now shaking Harry, and grabbed him by the arm. Ron and Hermione could only watch in horror as their friend was dragged out of the Great Hall, a lost and dazed look on his face. As soon as the doors closed behind them, a rash of whispers broke out in the Hall. Despite her best efforts, Professor McGonagall was unable to stop the noise. Eventually giving up, she swept out of the hall to find out what was happening to her House member. ~~* Up in Dumbledore's office things were not going too well. Harry had been restrained in magical chains as soon as the Hall doors had closed. He had to be levitated up to the office as he had been quite unable to move. Dumbledore was furious. Never in all his years as headmaster of Hogwarts had Aurors arrested a student. It was unheard of. Stomping over to his desk chair he sat himself down and gestured for the Aurors to do the same. “ Now, gentleman, I demand an explanation. How could you just walk into the Hall like that, in front of all the children, and claim that young Harry Potter is a murderer! Arresting an innocent boy is not acceptable. Who sent you?” Dumbledore had long since lost the calm he was so famous for. He didn't often get angry, but what these men were saying about Harry was unacceptable. “ Professor, we have reason to believe that the charges of murder are valid. Minister Fudge has informed us that the child is quite disturbed and should have been in St. Mungos' mental ward several years ago. From what I hear he blacks out regularly and babbles about You-Know-Who running around again. Honestly, Dumbledore, how can you defend the child? The Triwizard Tournament ended with a dead body and the boy ranting about the Dark Lord.” Dumbledore had lost the last spark in his eyes after the Auror's explanation. Fudge was trying to get rid of Harry. He was still blind to the threat of the newly risen Voldemort, and was trying to justify Cedric's death by pinning it on Harry. But what could he do? No amount of reasoning with Fudge would change his mind, and hexing the Minister for Magic was a one way ticket to Azkaban. The only thing he could do was to wait for the trial and hope they used Veritaserum on Harry. It was the only way of getting the truth, and it would give the Ministry undeniable evidence that Voldemort was indeed back. With a resigned look on his face, he turned to the Aurors, who were giving Harry contemptuous looks. “ When will his trial be? I need to be there to speak in his defence.” The Aurors looked shocked at his quiet acceptance. They had expected more of a fight from the old headmaster. “ Two days time, sir.” “ Thank you. I'll be there,” and with that he shot a sympathetic look at Harry, who was staring unseeingly at the ceiling, and showed the Aurors to the door. After all, there was nothing else he could do. As soon as the Aurors left there was a knock on the door. Dumbledore called a half-hearted “come in” and looked up to see Minerva McGonagall staring at him, a questioning look on her face. “ They took him Minerva. There was nothing I could do. The trial is in two days. The best we can hope for is a not guilty verdict.” “ But Albus,” she started, “ they can't just come in here and arrest a student. And what will Sirius say when he finds out?” “ We'll just have to pray the he doesn't find out until after the trial. If he knows about it he'll insist on being there, and it's too dangerous for him to just walk into the Ministry of Magic building.” Both sat deep in thought, until an irate Severus Snape came through the door, Ron and Hermione hot on his heels. “ Sir, what happened to Harry? He didn't kill anyone, and all the students are spreading nasty rumours already, and Harry can't go to Azkaban `cause he hasn't done anything, and you know what sort of reaction he has to Dementors,” Hermione cried breathlessly. Snape gave her a disdainful glare, but Dumbledore looked at her in sympathy. “ Calm yourself, Miss Granger, you're going to hyperventilate,” turning to Snape he asked, “ Severus, could you gather the teachers please, and send the students to their common rooms? They can finish the feast there. I only want to explain this once.” Snape glared mildly at the headmaster and stalked out of the room. Dumbledore gestured for Ron and Hermione to take a seat and to wait for the other teachers. It was going to be a long night. ~~* Harry didn't know what to think. He had been accused of murder, bound, dragged to Dumbledore's office, and now thrown in a cell. From what he could gather it was a holding cell under the Ministry of Magic building. The Aurors had told him that he would be held there until his trial, and that the Minister for Magic would be paying him a visit. After that the Auror came over and took his wand away, giving a disapproving glare to the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry had been there a few hours, lost in his guilt and thinking to himself that this was what he deserved, and that he should have seen it coming, when the cell door opened and Cornelius Fudge swaggered in. He was wearing his usual gaudy outfit and bowler hat, and had a smug look on his face. “ Well, well, well, if it isn't the once proud and famous Harry Potter. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The press will have a field day when they find out that the Saviour of the wizarding world is nothing but murderous scum. You're no better than You-Know-Who. I'll finally put an end to your ranting and raving about the Dark Lord returning. Trying to start a mass panic, were you? Or did you just feel the need to get a little more attention. Well, I'm telling you, Potter, there is no way you can get out of this one. You're going to Azkaban where you belong, and there's nothing that fool Dumbledore can do about it.” Having said his piece, Fudge stood back and waited for Harry to respond. All he got in answer was a glazed glance. After a few minutes he began to get impatient and snapped out, “ Answer me, you filth. When the Minister for Magic asks you a question, you answer it.” Harry looked up a little at this. What did it matter what he said to Fudge? He would be getting his punishment for it in a few days anyway. “ Say what you like, Minister,” came a harsh whisper, “I'm passed caring anymore.” The Minister huffed at this, and turned to leave. Harry continued to stare blankly at the wall, ignoring all that was going on around him, not coming out of his reverie until a guard came a few days later to take him to his trial. The trial of the century. The trial of the Boy-Who-Lived. Previous chapter Next chapter