MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

Uncanny

Atlas's stomach gave an all-mighty lurch as she plummeted to the polished ground beneath her, landing with a hefty thud beside Harry who was staring, transfixed, at the trial playing out before him. They were sat in Courtroom Ten, inside the Ministry itself, the entire Wizengamot sat before them, a sea of plum-coloured robes with 'W' 's embroidered into them flooding the stands around one Barty Crouch Sr. They were in one of Dumbledore's memories, from when Crouch was well on his way into Ministerhood and Atlas felt an icky sort of discomfort being inside the mind of a man such as Dumbledore.

Replaying memories as a concept was brilliant, a truly remarkable feat to have accomplished, however, there were just some things Atlas would rather not see, the setting of the courtroom being one of them. It had become this reminder, a memoir of the time Atlas had been sentenced to Azkaban, to when she was dragged off by Dementors, a muzzle secured around her face and her cries falling on deaf ears. Atlas closed her eyes, shaking off those thoughts as she turned to Harry.

"Harry, we need to --"

"Snape was a Death Eater," Harry burst, turning in his seat to face Atlas. Her mouth snapped shut as she blinked through the absurdity of what Harry had just said but then it sank in and everything fell into place. Right, it made sense, of course, Dumbledore would want to collect an operative like Snape, he was useful. For what? Atlas didn't know just yet. "And Ludo funnelled information to a Death Eater on accident, I think that's why Winky doesn't like him, because he made Crouch look like a fool in front of the court."

"Winky doesn't like Ludo?"

"Don't you remember? She told us Crouch didn't like Ludo, said he was a bad wizard."

"No, I don't, look, Harry, let's just get out of here. I don't like being in the courtroom," Atlas urged, grabbing his shoulder and looking to the ceiling where she saw the canopy of Dumbledore's office, blurred and distorted but her exit nonetheless. She made to stand, aiming to pull Harry up with her, but he did not budge, instead, he ignored her attempts, staring off at the entrance to the room. "Harry, come on, what are you even -- ?" 

Six Dementors entered the courtroom, flanking a group of four people. At their arrival, many whispered voices echoed throughout the room, many eyes falling on Crouch as the four were slowly revealed and upon seeing them, Atlas knew just what court case this was, the blood draining from her face. This was the Longbottom case, something Neville wouldn't want Harry to know, wouldn't want anybody to know. She turned to her god-brother but it was too late, the case had started.

Bellatrix Lestrange sat in her seat as if it were a throne, a dirty smirk on her face as she turned and eyed her husband - Rodolphus - in a way that was almost mocking, not mocking of him but of the crowd around them. She soon grinned even wider, lolling her head about as she seemed to chuckle. Then, of course, there was Rabastan but he was so insignificant Atlas didn't spare him a glance, instead, she looked down and upon Barty Crouch Jr, son to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," Barty Crouch Sr said clearly, "so that we may pass judgment on you, for a crime so heinous -"

"Father," Atlas narrowed her brows, sinking further into her seat with a grimace at the sight of Junior sobbing and slobbering all over the place, like some needy dog. "Father...please..."

"- that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court," Crouch continued, speaking more loudly, drowning out his son's voice. "We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror - Frank Longbottom - and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named --"