Chapter - 6 : Fate Part - 6
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And the neighbour's dog!
Finally the long and boring list of names and pointless titles was ended and Fudge got on with the actual proceedings "So, we all know the charges," Harry wasn't entirely sure anymore but wasn't about to interrupt again; he was bored enough already. Fudge continued to tell them all anyway "The accused did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous warning from the Ministry of Magic, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on the second of August at twenty-three minutes past nine in the evening, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, 1692."
Fudge looked up from the sheet of parchment before him, from which he had read the charges, and turned his gaze upon Harry.
"You are Harry James Potter of Number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?"
"Yes." Harry said.
"You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?"
"Yes, but-"
"And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August?"
"Yes," replied Harry "but-"
"Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside of school while you are under the age of seventeen?"
"Yes, but-"
"Knowing that you were in an area filled with Muggles?"
"Yes, but-"
"Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?"
"Yes," said Harry angrily "but I only used it because we were-"
It was Madam Bones who cut across him this time "You produced a fully-fledged Patronus?"
"Yes," said Harry "because-"
"A corporeal Patronus?"
"A – what?" asked Harry.
"Your patronus had a clearly defined form? Was it more than mere vapour?"
"Yes, it's a stag. Always a stag." replied Harry who, quite frankly, was getting fed up with this questioning. They weren't letting him answer the key question of why he cast the Patronus in the first place.
"Always?" asked Madam Bones "You've produced a Patronus before now?"
"Yes," replied Harry "I've had to do it before."
"Had to?"
"Yes," said Harry "I thought that the Ministry was aware of that."
"And why would we be?" asked Madam Bones.
"Well in my third year, the Ministry of Magic ordered that a group of Dementors be stationed around the school for the safety of the students. After one attacked me on the Hogwarts Express and a whole lot of them attacked my in the middle of a Quidditch match, causing me to fall from a height of over a hundred feet, the Defence Professor volunteered his time to teach me."
Harry looked directly at the Minister, who looked slightly uncomfortable at his words. Harry chose to drive his point home. "Surely you remember, Minister. The Dementors attacking me at the Quidditch match was why the Headmaster refused them any further access to the grounds, no matter how much you insisted."
Fudge was now turning a shade of purple that would have done Harry's Uncle Vernon proud "Be that as it may, it does not exempt you from the fact that you performed the spell in the presence of a Muggle."
The Wizengamot began murmuring again. On seeing Percy give a sanctimonious little nod, Harry was driven to speak.
"I did it because we were being attacked by Dementors." he said loudly, before anyone else could interrupt him."
Harry had expected the response to that statement to be more muttering. What he got was silence.
Finally the quiet was broken by laughter coming from Fudge "Ah, yes," he said "Yes, I was wondering when we'd be hearing some cock-and-bull story like this one."
"Cornelius," said Madam Bones, and Harry was pleased to note that there was a tone on warning in her voice.
She turned to Harry and asked "What do you mean by that last statement?"
"It's simple," replied Harry "my cousin and I were walking along an alleyway that would lead us back home when we were attacked by two Dementors."
"Poppycock!" Fudge burst out "The Ministry has no records for there being two Dementors in Little Whinging on that evening or any other. Why would they be?"
"I don't know," replied Harry "Perhaps they were two wild Dementors."
"There are no wild Dementors in the British Isles." replied Fudge.
"Then it follows that the Ministry's records are wrong." said Harry.
"Or that you are a liar." commented the woman sitting next to Fudge. Harry had quite forgotten her name, along with her self-important job title, but noticed for the first time that she was dressed all in pink, and looked rather like a toad.
"I am not a liar," replied Harry "Is it possible that two of your Dementors went rogue?"
"The Ministry does not lose control of its Dementors." replied Fudge.
Harry leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling, he could think of at least two incidents where the Ministry had lost control of its Dementors. Actually he could think of a third, but bringing that one up would only cause trouble for a lot of people. His problem now was how to convince the Wizengamot that he was telling the truth.
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If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters
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