The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 12

Amelia Bones shuffled the pieces of parchment in front of her for what must have been the tenth or eleventh time since she'd taken her seat. It wasn't that she didn't know their contents, far from it in fact – after so many times of reading through it, she could easily recite each one verbatim. No, the problem wasn't one of unpreparedness, rather it was what they represented.

In a very few minutes, the Wizengamot would be called to session. A session where the main item on the agenda was the trial of one Albus Dumbledore. And that's where her nerves came into play. Sure, she knew her facts and arguments, but that didn't stop the feeling of 'wrongness' that pervaded her entire being.

Albus Dumbledore – the greatest hero alive in magical Great Britain; the defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald; one of the most influential men for the past decade; the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; the United Kingdom's representative to the International Confederation of Warlocks and that body's Supreme Mugwamp. If one man embodied all that was right and good, Albus Dumbledore was it and it was now her job to prosecute him.

It'd been bad enough questioning him and then serving him notice of today's hearing. The fact that for so many years, indeed all of her life, she'd looked up to and respected the man had made that job so much harder than any other time that she'd done it.

Thankfully, Amelia knew that she had her forms and procedures to fall back on.

Ignore the man; do the job, had become her mantra over the past days as she'd been working towards this moment.

Around her, the shuffling of robes was settling down and she looked up to take in her surroundings.

Courtroom Ten was the largest courtroom in the Ministry of Magic, being large enough to hold all one hundred and one members of the Wizengamot in great tiered seats around a central stoned area where those on trial stood to be judged. Above the Wizengamot stands, were the visitors' gallery and the press box. Today, both of those areas were also packed with people.

As her gaze shifted around the numerous Lords and Wizengamot members, Amelia picked out various individuals. Over to her far left sat Lord Black and Lord Greengrass, their heads bent towards each other in conversation. On the tier directly above her sat Minister Fudge and his Undersecretary, Delores Umbridge.

As she made eye contact with the Minister, he gave her a small nod and picked up his gavel.

"This session of the Wizengamot, the twenty-seventh of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-three on the fifth of August, is called to session," Fudge intoned as he banged his gavel the required three times.

Once all movement and susurration had ceased, he continued.

"Scribe Hensley, are you prepared?"

"Yes, Sir," the fresh faced blonde woman replied, momentarily giving off an air of calmness before her flustered appearance resumed its normal place as she pulled parchment, ink and quills to her.

"Very well, very well," Fudge replied, placing the gavel beside his lime green bowler that sat on his desk before him. "Members of the Wizengamot. We have only one item on the docket for today – the trial of Albus Dumbledore."

"You can't be serious!" a voice called from up near the top of the stands.

"I don't think Dumbledore's capable of doing anything wrong!" another called from amongst the loud muttering that had broken out all around the chamber.

A swift crack of Fudge's gavel brought the room back into a semblance of quiet.

"I'm sure that we're all equally shocked by this turn of events," Fudge stated as he turned in his seat to face his peers. "Nevertheless, charges have been laid against the Chief Warlock by the DMLE. Madam Bones, are you ready to proceed?"