Chapter 58: CH 58
Mungo's to have those quills and parchment surgically removed from your bodily orifices, you will us alone, right now."
Both men hurriedly backed off. However, both remained much closer than they were before. Both looked like they were trying to listen in on anything he and Daphne said to one another.
Harry, again, looked at them both. "Gentlemen!" he growled. "You have just heard more than enough from me, this day. If either of you so much as writes one word of a private conversation between my betrothed and I, I will use that vast fortune of which I spoke to utterly destroy you.
"Now, move back to where you were and do not bother us again!" With muttered apologies but annoyed expressions, both men moved far enough away they could not listen in if Harry and Daphne spoke quietly to each other.
As Harry turned back around after a last glare at both reporters he saw Cygnus enter from the other door and quickly move to take seat alongside them. With a glare of his own towards the reporters he sat with his back to them while leaning in to Harry and Daphne.
"How are you two holding up?" he asked.
"I think Daph's going to need to take a dreamless sleep potion after watching all that," replied Harry. "But, I'm alright now. I said my piece and found it strangely cathartic; a refreshing purge." Using his chin to indicate the door through which the Members left, he asked, "What's going on in there?" "Well, your little heartfelt speech really struck a chord," Cygnus replied. "You're the victim here, so you coming out with what you said has a lot of them wanting to go along with your idea. Before you spoke, though, there was a near-unanimous consensus to immediately take them downstairs and toss them through the veil. You've given them something else to consider and Amelia is currently telling them how she would need to go about it. It may not prove possible, though."
With a sigh, Harry said, "Good. At least they're discussing it."
Cygnus gave them both comforting pats on the shoulder before hurrying back off the visitor's gallery and rejoining the Members.
In the end, Harry got what he wanted. It seems the Auror department have a two-way channel with a special department within the Metropolitan Police Service. Amelia would contact her counterpart in Scotland Yard and they would work out how to see justice done.
After the Dursleys were told their fate, they both visibly slumped in relief. However, they were also warned.
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley," said Madam Marchbanks. "Your nephew just saved your lives today. You would not have seen the sun set this evening if he had not spoken in your defence.
"Soon, you will be handed over to a special section within your own Scotland Yard. They will be filing charges against you. When you go to court you will plead guilty to all charges. You will accept all punishment and not negotiate for a lighter sentence. "If you do not, we will come for you. On that day, you will not see the sun set. You will already be dead. Have I made myself perfectly clear to the two of you?"
"Yes - Ma'am," said Vernon in a quiet, defeated voice.
"Yes, Ma'am," said Petunia, once again sobbing.
Madam Marchbanks looked up from them both and called, "Aurors! Return them to their cells. They are to await there until such time as arrangements are made for them to be transferred to muggle custody."
A quick bang of her gavel and they were led out.
Standing, Madam Bones said, "Next case, Madam Marchbanks."
"Do we have time?" the elderly witch asked. "I believe we must make it, Madam Marchbanks," Amelia replied. "We need to right a great wrong. We need to right a miscarriage of justice. A man sits imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. A man sits imprisoned having not faced trial. He was summarily dumped in Azkaban without even opportunity to defend himself."
"Then release him at once!" exclaimed Madam Marchbanks. "If the man has not even been given a trial, then he cannot be held. It's tantamount to kidnapping!"
"Yes, Madam Marchbanks," replied Amelia. "However, the man has specifically requested a trial because he believes it will not be believed he is innocent if he is simply released. He wants the trial so he is formally found not guilty and exonerated."
"Well, it sounds as if it's going to be a very short case," replied Madam Marchbanks. "Who is the prisoner? The one accused of a crime?"
"Lord Apparent of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sirius Orion Black," replied Amelia in a flat voice.
While Harry thought there were times during the trial of his aunt and uncle where the Members got a little rowdy; it was nothing compared to the noise that issued forth from the Members this time.
No amount of gavel banging allowed Madam Marchbanks to gain control again. It was Dumbledore firing off a bang out of his wand, who got it.
Once the noise levels abated to a quiet murmur, Madam Marchbanks said, "In that case, we shall delay not one jot more in giving the man his trial. Is he currently available?" "Yes, Madam Marchbanks," replied Amelia.
"And, are you ready to proceed?"
"Yes, Madam Marchbanks."
"Then bring the man in," instructed the elderly witch.
"For the first time, Harry was able to look upon the face of his godfather. The man looked quite gaunt; his cheeks slightly sunken; he had bags under his grey almost dull eyes; he walked, almost shuffled, with a slight stoop; his hair was long, lank and dirty.
Once he entered the room he looked around in interest, straightening up slightly as he did.
"Well," he said in a slightly raspy voice. "I'm finally getting my trial, am I?" Madam Marchbanks said, "Take a seat, please, Lord Black."
Sirius gave the woman a rather queer look before plonking down in the remaining chained chair. The other, having been removed earlier.
The chains rattled before almost lazily draping themselves over him.
Once he was seated, Madam Marchbanks looked at Amelia and simply said, "Begin."
"Sirius Orion Black," Madam Bones intoned, "you are charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder by leading the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort to the home of the Potters, where he did then murder them; one count of murder in the first by chasing down and killing Peter Pettigrew; thirteen counts of killing muggles during the period you killed Peter Pettigrew; and being a member of a proscribed organisation, known as Death Eaters."
Madam Marchbanks asked, "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty to all charges," replied Sirius quite firmly.
"Noted," said Madam Marchbanks. "Madam Bones, you may begin."
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