Chapter - 23 : Desperation Part - 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters
50+Advanced Chapters there.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Madam Bones rolled her eyes and slammed fist down on the desk with a crash. Immediately shackles grew from his chair and restrained him.
Harry bucked wildly and glared venomously at the woman on the other side of the desk.
"Silencio!" she incanted with an exaggerated movement like she was schooling a five year old.
"I have not the patience to deal with your tantrum, Mr. White. I was attacked by the Dark Lord himself this morning and frankly I have bigger problems. Speaking of which, I think it's my turn to get some questions answered."
She got to her feet and leant over her desk as she glared him down at him with cold blue eyes. "Are you going to behave."
Mulishly, Harry nodded, though he scowled fiercely.
Wordlessly she released him and cancelled the Silencing Charm before sitting down. Harry rolled his shoulders, which he had strained while trying to escape the chains. He didn't look up or meet her eyes.
"Now, from your story I take it that my counterpart was attacked on your world on this day, which is how you knew about the one here?" she prodded in a calm voice like nothing at all had happened.
"Yes," he grunted, still angry at being dismissed like an unruly child. "You died."
"Thank you for saving my life then." She sounded genuinely grateful and Harry's head shot up to look at her once more. He searched her eyes, but there was no sign of deception there and he deflated as his anger drained away until his temper merely simmered.
"You're welcome," he muttered.
"Do you know of any other such attacks?"
Hastily he nodded. "Yeah. I made a list."
His hand disappeared in his robe and she briefly tensed but relaxed when it emerged holding two sheafs of parchment. He slid the first across the desk.
"This is a list of attacks that I remember for the coming months. People, places, dates. I can't be sure that everything will happen the same way here as it did back home, but many of them might."
"Extraordinary," she breathed as she looked it over. "Despite the price you paid, you may be saving many lives through your actions, Mr. White."
Harry looked at his shoes. "Yeah, well, all things considered I would rather be back home."
She gave a small smile. "I understand, but your actions are nonetheless commendable."
Harry fidgeted and she gestured to parchment he still held. "What's that one, then?"
The scowl on Harry's face grew into a smirk as he placed the second piece of parchment on the desk. "You'll possibly be even more impressed with this one."
She blinked and opened it slowly before giving him a piercing look. "Is this what I think it is?"
His smirk turned into a satisfied grin. "A list of every known Death Eater on my world."
She stared at the piece of parchment with a blank look and shifted her gaze to look at him instead before her shoulders slumped and she released the parchment to flutter down onto the desk.
"I can't use this," she whispered.
"What?" he asked incredulously, "Why not?"
She sighed and slumped back into her chair. "Evidence from another dimension is hardly admissible in court."
Harry blinked. "Screw the court!" He gestured wildly. "These are murderers and terrorists. Just arrest them, pump them full of Veritaserum and toss them in Azkaban."
"I will not 'screw the court'," she said, throwing him a withering look. Belatedly he realised that he was talking to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"You know what I mean," he sputtered, "They're Death Eaters!"
She shook her head. "Like you said, just because on your world someone named Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater is not evidence that someone named Lucius Malfoy here is too. After all, your home world would not be a different dimension if everything there was the same as it is here. By its very definition, dimensional evidence cannot be used."
"But," he sputtered, "those are details. That's what Veritaserum is for, isn't it? If you do pick up someone who turns out to be innocent you'll know and you can just let them go!"
"Unfortunately I can't authorise the use of Veritaserum without leave from the courts, which they will not grant based on your word alone."
Harry stared at her open mouthed.
This could not be happening. Was she really using the law to justify notarresting Death Eaters?
"So that's it then?" He sneered at the woman. "The infamous Amelia Bones, straightest arrow in the Ministry, champion of law and order, is going to sit back and do nothing. You call Dumbledore's flunkies 'morally reprehensible' but won't arrest them and now you won't even go after Voldemort's?" He threw up his hands in disgust. "Do you even care how many innocent people are going to die?"
Her ice cold glare could have withered plants at a hundred paces. "Calm yourself or you can cool your heels in a holding cell for a few days."
Harry clenched his jaw in an effort from restraining his tongue. He was just so bloody frustrated with everyone in this world. Unfortunately Madam Bones was not quite done.
"Before you accuse me of risking innocent people, do you even understand the consequences of your own accusations?"
"What?" he asked belligerently. "I'm asking you to put criminals in jail. Isn't that your job?"
"It is," she hissed, "but you are also asking to set the Ministry against one of its most effective allies in a war that is just now starting." She glared him down and raised her voice. "On top of that, from what I know Order members are just everyday people banding together in an effort to help their fellow witches and wizards. Their identities are secret for a reason. Accusing them as you want to will put them right on top of You-Know-Who's hit list, including their innocent families and friends!"
She was breathing heavily by the end of her rant, growling like an angry dragon a hair away from frying its next meal.
"Are you quite ready to sacrifice innocent lives to satisfy your vendetta?" she asked icily.
Harry's hands balled into fists at her accusation, but the anger that had pooled in his gut for days now felt like it was suddenly doused in ice water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters
50+Advanced Chapters there.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~