Chapter 4 - The Trial

The courtroom was packed. That was the first thing Harry noticed as he was led across a stage to a rather uncomfortable looking chair. As soon as he sat down long chains came out of the chair and wrapped securely around his arms and legs, effectively pinning him in place. He vaguely recalled seeing a chair like this in Dumbledore's Penseive. This memory prompted him to take a good look around the room he was in. It was indeed much like the one from Barty Crouch Jr.'s trial. Looking around the faces in the crowd above him he could make out most of the Hogwarts teachers. Dumbledore, McGonagall and surprisingly Snape were all sitting on the front row, along with Hermione and the entire Weasley clan.

Above his teachers and friends he could see that the courtroom was packed with reporters and photographers from all kinds of wizarding media. Thankfully he couldn't see any sign of Rita Skeeter, so he assumed that Hermione still had her locked up in a jar. Harry was suddenly blinded by a series of flashes as the photographers took pictures of the famous Harry Potter being tried. If Harry had still cared about himself he would have been embarrassed and humiliated. But as it was, as he had said to Fudge, he was passed caring. As this thought sprang into his head he quickly looked around until he saw the Minister for Magic sitting on a box off to one side, just above the jury. If it was possible he looked even more smug than he had the other day.

Harry's train of thought was broken when an Auror stood up to silence the chattering crowd. Walking towards Harry, the Auror took out a small bottle containing a suspiciously familiar looking clear liquid.

Veritaserum, Harry's mind supplied as the Auror asked him to open his mouth. As the liquid was tipped down his throat, Harry didn't even try to struggle despite the bitter taste, resigned to the fact that no matter how much he struggled, it wouldn't change anything. It would only make Fudge happier, and he wasn't prepared to give the arrogant Minister the satisfaction. As soon as the bottle was drained, Harry began to feel his brain separate from his body. It was as if he could still see and hear things normally, but if he tried to tell a lie his mouth wouldn't co-operate. As he was contemplating the situation, the Auror had straightened and turned to address the courtroom.

The courtroom held their breath as Harry considered what he wanted to say. Did he really kill Cedric? Or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? But he couldn't feel so guilty if it wasn't his fault. On the other hand, he didn't actually perform the curse, Wormtail did. His mind made up, Harry sat up straighter in the restricting chair, shot a glare at Fudge, and in a loud clear voice proclaimed

There was a huge roar from the crowd as the photographers took another round of pictures. The Hogwarts teachers, as well as Hermione and the Weasleys, were all on their feet shouting protests. Mutters of “ Who would have thought, the Boy-Who-Lived, a murderer!” and “ Who would have thought our saviour would turn to You-Know-Who,” could clearly be heard from the crowd. Harry ignored them, glancing briefly at the delighted grin on Fudge's face.

At least he's satisfied. I'll get what I deserve now, Harry thought as Dumbledore shot him an incredulous look from the crowd. He looked back blankly, showing the old Headmaster that he was accepting the consequences. As their eyes locked Harry could tell that Dumbledore wasn't going to let this go. Just as Fudge opened his mouth to declare Harry's sentence, the wisened mage stood and called out above the chatter.

“ I object to the admission. I believe Harry Potter to be speaking out of guilt. I ask that you give him the opportunity, as he is under the influence of Veritaserum, to tell us the whole story of what happened.

Murmurs of assent passed through the courtroom. No-one wanted to see the famous Harry Potter in Azkaban for murder. If he was convicted, the wizarding world would have lost its icon of hope. Fudge could see that the majority of the courtroom was with Dumbledore, but he knew he couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. It wasn't often you had the chance of getting the Boy-Who-Lived sent down. And he grudgingly admitted to himself that he was a little afraid that Harry had been telling the truth at the start of the summer, and that Voldemort really had returned. If this was the case then Fudge would no longer be able to deny the truth.

However, at these words the whole crowd stood on their feet, shouting for the Minister to make Harry recount the events. His friends and teachers wanted to know why he had pleaded guilty, the press wanted a really good story, and the rest wanted peace of mind that the saviour of the wizarding world was still free to fight the dark forces for them. Fudge, seeing that he was outnumbered, sighed in defeat.

“ Fine. I hereby call forward Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to question the accused about the events of the Triwizard Tournament.”

Dumbledore stepped forward and gave Harry a piercing look, as if to tell him `It's going to be alright, we'll get you out of this'. Harry merely responded with a blank look. Stopping in front of Harry, Dumbledore began his intensive questioning.

“ Cedric and I could both see the cup. We were running to reach it, and an acromantula came out and headed towards Cedric. I tried to warn him, and helped him to fight it off. I got injured, and told Cedric to take the cup, as I could no longer race him to get it. He refused, saying I should take it. We argued about it for a few minutes until I suggested we both take it together, as it would still be a Hogwarts victory. We took hold of the cup together, and it transported us to a graveyard. The cup had been a portkey.”

“ We thought it was all part of the Task. Cedric suggested we take out our wands, and as we did a figure appeared. It looked like it was carrying a bundle of rags. We heard a voice saying “Kill the spare,” and the next thing I knew there was a flash of green light and Cedric fell to the ground, dead. There was nothing I could do. I should have done something. I should have tried harder.”

By this time tears were streaming down Harry's face, and he was becoming more distressed with each word. Dumbledore glanced at the stunned crowd to see line upon line of incredulous faces. The Diggorys could be seen in the front row, tears falling down their faces as Mrs. Diggory buried her head in her husband's shoulder. Turning back to Harry, Dumbledore could see that the boy had calmed enough to continue the questioning.

“ Enough,” came a bellow from Fudge, “ this line of questioning is not related to the current trial. If you won't ask reasonable questions, then I will have you removed from the courtroom.”

At this last answer the crowd roared with disapproval, demanding to know why the Ministry hadn't informed the general public of this fact. Before things could get out of hand, Dumbledore held his wand to his throat and muttered `sonorus'.

The courtroom was immediately silent. Many had been at Hogwarts under Dumbledore, and all knew to listen when he gave an order. Gathering up his courage, Dumbledore faced Harry once more to ask his final question. After whispering `quietus' he asked, “ Why did you plead guilty?”

This was the question on the minds of most in the courtroom. From what they had heard Harry hadn't done anything wrong. So why did he say he killed Cedric. The voice that replied was small and hesitant.

“ Because it was my fault. I told Cedric to take to cup with me. If I had been selfish and just taken it myself, he would still be alive. I made him go to the graveyard. I couldn't save him from the Killing curse.”

At this point the Minister for Magic was looking very pale. After what had just been admitted, he could lose his job for keeping the news quiet since the summer.

Oh well, may as well try and salvage the situation, he thought before standing up in front of the crowd and yelling, “ Order, order. Despite the supposed evidence to the contrary, the accused has plead guilty. I have no choice but to convict.”

“ A plea of guilt is final. The sentence for murder is life in Azkaban. I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, hereby find the defendant Harry Potter guilty of the murder of Cedric Diggory.”

As Harry was pulled from the chains and dragged from the courtroom, he took one last look at his friends. The ones who had supported him through everything. The ones he believed he didn't deserve. Catching Dumbledore's eye, he saw the old man mouth `I tried' before he was pulled through the door and portkeyed to Azkaban.


	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 4 - The Trial The courtroom was packed. That was the first thing Harry noticed as he was led across a stage to a rather uncomfortable looking chair. As soon as he sat down long chains came out of the chair and wrapped securely around his arms and legs, effectively pinning him in place. He vaguely recalled seeing a chair like this in Dumbledore's Penseive. This memory prompted him to take a good look around the room he was in. It was indeed much like the one from Barty Crouch Jr.'s trial. Looking around the faces in the crowd above him he could make out most of the Hogwarts teachers. Dumbledore, McGonagall and surprisingly Snape were all sitting on the front row, along with Hermione and the entire Weasley clan. Perfect, just what I need. My friends seeing me convicted of murder. I don't deserve them, he thought. Above his teachers and friends he could see that the courtroom was packed with reporters and photographers from all kinds of wizarding media. Thankfully he couldn't see any sign of Rita Skeeter, so he assumed that Hermione still had her locked up in a jar. Harry was suddenly blinded by a series of flashes as the photographers took pictures of the famous Harry Potter being tried. If Harry had still cared about himself he would have been embarrassed and humiliated. But as it was, as he had said to Fudge, he was passed caring. As this thought sprang into his head he quickly looked around until he saw the Minister for Magic sitting on a box off to one side, just above the jury. If it was possible he looked even more smug than he had the other day. Harry's train of thought was broken when an Auror stood up to silence the chattering crowd. Walking towards Harry, the Auror took out a small bottle containing a suspiciously familiar looking clear liquid. Veritaserum, Harry's mind supplied as the Auror asked him to open his mouth. As the liquid was tipped down his throat, Harry didn't even try to struggle despite the bitter taste, resigned to the fact that no matter how much he struggled, it wouldn't change anything. It would only make Fudge happier, and he wasn't prepared to give the arrogant Minister the satisfaction. As soon as the bottle was drained, Harry began to feel his brain separate from his body. It was as if he could still see and hear things normally, but if he tried to tell a lie his mouth wouldn't co-operate. As he was contemplating the situation, the Auror had straightened and turned to address the courtroom. “ The trial of Harry James Potter is now in session. The accused is charged with the murder of one Cedric Diggory. How does the accused plead?” The courtroom held their breath as Harry considered what he wanted to say. Did he really kill Cedric? Or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? But he couldn't feel so guilty if it wasn't his fault. On the other hand, he didn't actually perform the curse, Wormtail did. His mind made up, Harry sat up straighter in the restricting chair, shot a glare at Fudge, and in a loud clear voice proclaimed “ Guilty.” ~~* There was a huge roar from the crowd as the photographers took another round of pictures. The Hogwarts teachers, as well as Hermione and the Weasleys, were all on their feet shouting protests. Mutters of “ Who would have thought, the Boy-Who-Lived, a murderer!” and “ Who would have thought our saviour would turn to You-Know-Who,” could clearly be heard from the crowd. Harry ignored them, glancing briefly at the delighted grin on Fudge's face. “ I hereby declare Harry James Potter guilty of the crimes of which he is accused, by his own admission.” At least he's satisfied. I'll get what I deserve now, Harry thought as Dumbledore shot him an incredulous look from the crowd. He looked back blankly, showing the old Headmaster that he was accepting the consequences. As their eyes locked Harry could tell that Dumbledore wasn't going to let this go. Just as Fudge opened his mouth to declare Harry's sentence, the wisened mage stood and called out above the chatter. “ I object to the admission. I believe Harry Potter to be speaking out of guilt. I ask that you give him the opportunity, as he is under the influence of Veritaserum, to tell us the whole story of what happened. Murmurs of assent passed through the courtroom. No-one wanted to see the famous Harry Potter in Azkaban for murder. If he was convicted, the wizarding world would have lost its icon of hope. Fudge could see that the majority of the courtroom was with Dumbledore, but he knew he couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. It wasn't often you had the chance of getting the Boy-Who-Lived sent down. And he grudgingly admitted to himself that he was a little afraid that Harry had been telling the truth at the start of the summer, and that Voldemort really had returned. If this was the case then Fudge would no longer be able to deny the truth. “ I can't do that Dumbledore. You know as well as I do that if a defendant pleads guilty they need give no evidence.” However, at these words the whole crowd stood on their feet, shouting for the Minister to make Harry recount the events. His friends and teachers wanted to know why he had pleaded guilty, the press wanted a really good story, and the rest wanted peace of mind that the saviour of the wizarding world was still free to fight the dark forces for them. Fudge, seeing that he was outnumbered, sighed in defeat. “ Fine. I hereby call forward Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to question the accused about the events of the Triwizard Tournament.” Dumbledore stepped forward and gave Harry a piercing look, as if to tell him `It's going to be alright, we'll get you out of this'. Harry merely responded with a blank look. Stopping in front of Harry, Dumbledore began his intensive questioning. “ Please state your name.” “ Harry James Potter.” “ Tell me what happened just before you touched the Triwizard cup.” “ Cedric and I could both see the cup. We were running to reach it, and an acromantula came out and headed towards Cedric. I tried to warn him, and helped him to fight it off. I got injured, and told Cedric to take the cup, as I could no longer race him to get it. He refused, saying I should take it. We argued about it for a few minutes until I suggested we both take it together, as it would still be a Hogwarts victory. We took hold of the cup together, and it transported us to a graveyard. The cup had been a portkey.” “ Very good Harry, now what happened when you got to the graveyard? Just up to Cedric's death.” “ We thought it was all part of the Task. Cedric suggested we take out our wands, and as we did a figure appeared. It looked like it was carrying a bundle of rags. We heard a voice saying “Kill the spare,” and the next thing I knew there was a flash of green light and Cedric fell to the ground, dead. There was nothing I could do. I should have done something. I should have tried harder.” By this time tears were streaming down Harry's face, and he was becoming more distressed with each word. Dumbledore glanced at the stunned crowd to see line upon line of incredulous faces. The Diggorys could be seen in the front row, tears falling down their faces as Mrs. Diggory buried her head in her husband's shoulder. Turning back to Harry, Dumbledore could see that the boy had calmed enough to continue the questioning. “ It's alright, Harry, I only have a few more questions. Who fired the Killing curse?” “ Wormtail.” “ And who is Wormtail,” Dumbledore prompted. This was an answer that could possibly get Sirius a fair trial. “ Peter Pettigrew.” Gasps rang out around the courtroom, and Fudge looked about to explode. But the Headmaster continued undaunted. “ Is Pettigrew a Death Eater?” “ Yes.” “ Were there other Death Eaters there?” “ Yes.” “ Who?” “ MacNair, Crabbe, Goyle, Lucius Malfoy…” “ Enough,” came a bellow from Fudge, “ this line of questioning is not related to the current trial. If you won't ask reasonable questions, then I will have you removed from the courtroom.” “ It's alright, Cornelius, I only have two more questions,” the old wizard turned back to Harry and asked, “ Is Voldemort alive?” “ Yes.” At this last answer the crowd roared with disapproval, demanding to know why the Ministry hadn't informed the general public of this fact. Before things could get out of hand, Dumbledore held his wand to his throat and muttered `sonorus'. “ QUIET!” The courtroom was immediately silent. Many had been at Hogwarts under Dumbledore, and all knew to listen when he gave an order. Gathering up his courage, Dumbledore faced Harry once more to ask his final question. After whispering `quietus' he asked, “ Why did you plead guilty?” This was the question on the minds of most in the courtroom. From what they had heard Harry hadn't done anything wrong. So why did he say he killed Cedric. The voice that replied was small and hesitant. “ Because it was my fault. I told Cedric to take to cup with me. If I had been selfish and just taken it myself, he would still be alive. I made him go to the graveyard. I couldn't save him from the Killing curse.” At this point the Minister for Magic was looking very pale. After what had just been admitted, he could lose his job for keeping the news quiet since the summer. Oh well, may as well try and salvage the situation, he thought before standing up in front of the crowd and yelling, “ Order, order. Despite the supposed evidence to the contrary, the accused has plead guilty. I have no choice but to convict.” Dumbledore stood up and went to protest, but Fudge held up his hand to stop him. “ A plea of guilt is final. The sentence for murder is life in Azkaban. I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, hereby find the defendant Harry Potter guilty of the murder of Cedric Diggory.” As Harry was pulled from the chains and dragged from the courtroom, he took one last look at his friends. The ones who had supported him through everything. The ones he believed he didn't deserve. Catching Dumbledore's eye, he saw the old man mouth `I tried' before he was pulled through the door and portkeyed to Azkaban. Previous chapter Next chapter