Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

The trial of the captured Death Eaters happened in the old ministry building in the heart of the muggles' city. Since the fall of Voldemort, the Order's number one enforcer, Mad-Eye Moody, has either been overseeing Azkaban or was in the Ministry, destroying the curses and traps that were left behind.

By now, the institute was usable again, although I knew there were talks about relocating it. Too many bad things happened inside, and nobody felt that it was right to remain there and continue governing from a tainted place. However, until the new location is selected, there is no choice but to use it. What I was surprised about was that people were being let in for the trial, including us.

We didn't come alone because Lockhart did come with us this time, enjoying his pardoned existence and the fame he was gradually racking up. No joke, since we arrived, multiple people came to ask for his and our autographs. I was a bit taken aback, but he was in his element, retelling tales that didn't even happen, being the type of propagandist you would want with you if you were in our shoes.

"Honestly... He is a natural. He was wasted in Hogwarts." Quincy whispered into my ears, making me nod.

"Yeah, if Voldemort would have used him as his mouthpiece, oh boy... He would have been able to sway public opinion towards so many things! I do believe that his bullshittery is above his proficiency in mind magic."

"You can say that again."

"Conrad?"

I was about to break out from the ring of people who stopped us the moment we got into the lobby when I heard my name being called. Tiptoing to see above the heads of others, I quickly found the owner, whom I had already recognized. He wasn't better off because he was sandwiched between even more people, trying to catch my attention.

"Neville!" I shouted back, and after both of us managed to break free, we finally met in the middle before hugging it out.

"Good to see you! Quincy!" He grinned and hugged her, too, and although it was genuine for us, it was also a great show for the people present. I even looked into the flash of one of the photographers, snapping an image, most likely for the Daily Prophet.

"Popular, eh? I remember you complaining about having no friends in the village, but now... look at you!" I grinned, elbowing him.

"I wouldn't say I have friends. I have followers and people who know me... friends are something... No matter."

"I get it. I do. We both do." I chuckled, squeezing his shoulders as we walked towards the room where the trial would be held, breaking off from the crowd. While those who were with Neville were being taken care of by the two accompanying him, our 'followers' were bogged down with Lockhart, who was eager to answer any and all questions coming his way. "I recognize the witch you were with. She saw Grindelwald." I mumbled, looking back over my shoulders.

"That would be Professor McGonagall. She is one of my main supports and someone I trust deeply. The wizard next to him, the big guy, is Hagrid. He has a heart of gold... especially towards beasts. Do you remember the three-headed dog?"

"That nasty beast?" Quincy asked, raising her eyebrows, recalling the events of the TriWizard tournament.

"Yeah. His name was Fluffy, and it was his."

"Fluffy..." we grunted, exchanging a glance, "Weird name for a raging beast."

"It wasn't supposed to be like that." Neville spoke cleanly and calmly, but we know him well. I could feel the anger under his skin boiling. "Someone drugged the dog and made it into a berserker, overdriving and killing it. I won't say Hagrid doesn't harbor hard feelings towards you all... But so far, I have managed to uncover a few things, presenting evidence to Hagrid, and even if he is not the smartest man, he isn't stupid. He can see reason, and he knows people. He sniffs them out." He added with a half-smile. "He understands what I meant..."

"Hmmm... So, he is a bodyguard of yours?"

"Yes, and I brought him here because I trust his judgment; he will know from those who are going to be released today who is trustworthy and who isn't."

"What are you trying to tell us?" Quincy asked, tilting her head while I kept smiling, not taking offense to his words.

"I don't want you to get people out who are... guilty. Even if you were friends with them. I will support you where we feel you are right but oppose you if I must."

"Fair." I nodded, stretching my hand out and shaking his. "I am not here to cause trouble; I am here to get people their freedom back. Some of them are in prison unjustly."

After we entered the room and found our seats, we waited patiently, watching as the room was being filled with people. It was also our first time meeting with Dumbledore face-to-face in a pretty ordinary manner. Well, sort of, not counting the few yards between us while he walked forward, being one of the judges on the podium. He never looked at us all this time, but he was scanning the room, and I knew why. He was looking for Grindelwald, but we didn't even know where he was.

In the end, the judges were made of people from the Order alone, which was one of the points that SPEW and I attacked openly multiple times, but it never changed, no matter what we did. However, that was not the case when it came down to who would fill it out from Order. One such new member was Neville himself. Which, in turn, meant he had to have more than one of his supporters joining him. All I had to do was wait... and play my part well.

When the first Death Eater was brought out, it was a man named Lawrence Selwyn. I had never met him or heard about him, so we just sat back and let it play out, getting a feeling of the process of this charade. The one who played the prosecutor's role was the now somewhat infamous Mad-Eye Moody, quickly painting a picture of the pure devilish deeds of Lawrence up on the big stage.

And I believed him. Especially after I came to understand that the Selwyn family was the same one that spawned Umbridge. I never knew the connection, but... I believed Moody, so after a brief exchange with my wife, we let it all play out and let the judges sentence him to life in prison.

Next was another man, Evan Rosier. He supposedly was a pretty brutal enforcer, even taking a chunk out of Moody's nose when Voldemort first came to power, so it seems this was some kind of payback. I wasn't surprised when he also got the life sentence. The one who followed him on the stand was an older woman, Druella Rosier.

Now, she was much more interesting. I learned that she was the mother of one of the missing, high-ranking Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange... and Narcissa Malfoy. Aaaaand, it turns out that she had a third daughter, who distanced herself from the family, and then that girl also had a daughter of her own, who was now part of the jury. Druella tried to plead with her directly, but the girl, bearing the family name of Tonks, didn't even flinch. It was like watching a muggle TV series! I almost asked Quincy if she brought any popcorn with her or not.

Anyway, when all pleading failed, she looked at me directly and began calling me all the names under the sun until she was dragged away with another life sentence being announced. Was I affected by her words? No, not really. I understood why she blamed me for Narcissa's death, her apparent suicide. Was I guilty? Strictly speaking, yes. Was I feeling guilty? No. We all make choices, and those choices have their consequences. I could have been friends with Draco, but it didn't turn out that way, and I wasn't going to brood over the past. I did what I did and won't deny it or change it retroactively.

After a bit of shouting to bring back order, they brought out Irene Fawley. Now, she was someone who I knew about. Maybe I didn't know her by her full name, but I recognized her face because she was a year below us in Ravenclaw. She was part of my 'crew,' helping me find Quincy. Looking at her, she didn't look good, way too thin, and her face was telling enough, barely having any resemblance of life on it. If she had to go back, she would be dead in a week.

The moment Moody began listing her crimes, saying that she was responsible for multiple incidents where Death Eaters raided families for no reason, I had to finally stand up. All that Moody was bringing up was nothing but secondary evidence, obfuscating the point that she was brought away from Hogwarts and made to be the one signing off on papers for the Death Eater search squads. Probably a punishment for her involvement with us or for escaping Hogwarts, putting the blame on her family's name.

"And should I remind everyone," I said at the end of my speech, looking at Dumbledore, "Who raided our school, forced us to escape, and then left us there, not caring how Voldemort punished the students? All those people who were caught in the crossfire?"

I know that by interfering, I was breaking a few laws, or I could be rejected or even ejected from the place, yet they could not really do it. Not without turning the public completely against themselves. Of course, they knew I would do this, so they were prepared, but so was I. I made sure that I was attacking their every point, making them admit that what they had was circumstantial at best or at worst; they were ignoring the fact she was forced to obey, or she would be dooming herself and her family to a gruesome death.

After a short but intense back and forth, the judges finally relented, and she was released. Seeing her relieved expression made me smile, and I did not sit down because I noticed that the next figure they were bringing in was a man who I also knew by face. He was an older Slytherin student back then, so I decided to walk out of my seat and stand beside Mad-Eye Moody.

"If nobody here bothers defending those who were victims of a system..." I said calmly and cleanly, looking at the judges. "Then I will."

I didn't care what they were thinking of my brazen attitude or about my 'qualifications,' I confidently exchanged a gaze with Marcus Flint, letting him know that I was there to return the help he once gave me. While doing so, I also noticed that Neville, from time to time, glanced towards the giant man sitting at the back. Hagrid... huh? I wondered if he really could sniff out people's personalities. Oh well... I am going to get everybody out one way or another.