Subtle Support

Chapter 56

Harry gasped at the familiar place he had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve. His heartbeat started to increase thinking it was a foreshadowing of some sort, that he was going to have his wand snapped as the last person he knew in here had been sent to Azkaban. Brushing her hand against his, he looked ahead and felt relaxed that his family was here with him and they were not unprepared as he would have been.

It was dark for certain and the torches gave off very little light making the room look more ominous that it should have. The high benches were full of shadowy figures that were speaking lowly to each other until the door behind their party had closed with a resounding finality.

"You're late," said a cold voice.

"S-sorry –" Harry started.

"No he's not. He received no notice or letter, had it not been for the front desk, my client wouldn't have known at all," Chalice said firmly, "Being barely a minute late due to a failure of communication is hardly a call for stating that he's late."

There was low murmuring that had an aura of surprise.

"And who are you?" asked the cold voice.

"Chalice Burming, of Burming & Burming, Potter's legal representative," she said just as coolly.

"And they are?" he asked with a sneer.

"They are his family," she said nonchalantly.

"You brought muggles into this courtroom?" he asked dangerously, as the murmurs rose to whispers.

"Yes and no, Lady Granger is a witch, whereas his immediate family is allowed to be here, sanctioned in clause 247, section C, paragraph 11," she said unconcerned.

The whispers stopped. They had obviously thought that they would be dealing with an errant child and nothing more with such short notice and abrupt time change.

"As we understand it, Potter is an orphan and lives with his muggle relatives. Your party seems to be more than that, excluding our fellow witch."

"Technically speaking, my client is an orphan as his biological parents are deceased. However due to a familial blood bond and acknowledgement and acceptance, The Duke and Duchess, his bond parents, are also here," she said with a predatory smile.

The whispers rose again furiously as this was the first time any of them were hearing about it.

There was a grunt of discontent, "Please take your seat, Mr. Potter. I apologize, shall we conjure a seat for you as well?"

"No, I'll stand, thank you for the consideration."

In the middle of the courtroom was a lone chair covered in chains. Chains that he knew would burst into life and bind whoever sat in the seat. He walked carefully to the intimidating seat and gingerly sat in it, waiting with baited breath for it to cover him. The chains coiled around the chair like snakes, but they never bound him to the chair, for which he was thankful for. Even with his family here he still felt sick sitting in the seat and tried to distract himself by looking up at the seated Wizengamot members.

There were fifty members in all, each with plum colored robes and an elaborate silver 'W' on their left breast; one of them was the Minister himself. They were all staring down their noses at him, making him want to squirm, but he felt his lawyer lightly brush her hand over his shoulder reminding him he wasn't alone.

"Very well," he said, "The accused is present, so let us begin. Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied respectfully.