The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 30

After a last squeeze of his shoulder by Sirius, Harry turned to face the great oak doors of Courtroom Ten. This, he'd been told, was the largest and most important of all of the courtrooms within the Ministry. It was here that the entire Wizengamot could meet, usually simply to debate policies and procedures, but also to judge the most important of trials.

"Ready?" Julius Tentridge asked from his side.

Harry looked up at the elderly man. His white hair was parted to either side, neatly and precisely, exactly as Harry had come to expect. Today he wore robes of deep blue, trimmed with silver, just like the glasses perched on the end of his nose.

At his nod, Julius reached forward and pushed the door open.

Only the slightest hesitation marked Harry steps as he walked forward, and that was only to glance behind, hoping for one last look at Sirius. His godfather, however, was already gone.

As he stepped into the great circular room, Harry's head swivelled around and then up. Tiers and tiers of rows stretched upwards towards the great domed ceiling. The lower four rows, he'd been told, were for the Wizengamot members and where Sirius, Cyrus, Madam Longbottom and Horatio Moon would later be found. Above them, encircling the entire chamber, were the tiers for the spectators along with the special box set aside for journalists.

Exactly as he'd been warned to expect, the top rows were already jam-packed, standing room only by the look of it. A dozen or so people were crammed into the journalist's box, some with notepads, others with cameras and one with a large round microphone pressed to his mouth. Harry grimaced. It seemed that his trial was to be broadcast to the entire wizarding world.

At Julius' touch, Harry continued moving forward to the very centre of the stone floor. There he found a pair of chairs. The one that Julius immediately sat in was a stiff backed wooden chair, red velvet covering its seat and arms. The other, though, caused a cold shiver to run up his arms and back. It, too, was a high backed wooden chair. But instead of the padded comfort, it was outfitted with a series of chains and shackles.

Reluctantly, Harry moved closer before edging into the seat. The chains rattled ominously at him, but thankfully settled quickly back into place. He wondered whether they'd be instructed to wrap around him later if things went badly.

Finally settled, he looked back up only to find that while the chair had had him preoccupied, the vast majority of the Wizengamot members had filed in.

Harry studied the blood-red robed people with the elaborate double 'W's' on their left breast. Most were old; in fact Sirius looked to be child playing at being an adult compared to most of those that he could see. And Madam Bones and Madam Longbottom were two of only a small handful of women present. Scowls and expressions of annoyance were directed at him and it was all Harry could do to hold onto any sort of hope. Just their very countenance made him think that his guilt was a foregone conclusion.

Nervously, he looked to the side before he felt his heartrate slow slightly. Julius was seated there looking as calm as the day that he visited Potter Haven. He, at least, seemed unbothered by the stares. As Harry looked, he saw Julius' head turn slightly and the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. And then he winked. It was only quick and he doubted that anyone else would have seen it, but it was enough to give Harry hope.

Finally, when all but a tiny handful of seats on the Wizengamot were filled and the susurration seemed to have reached its peak, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge rose.

"This session of the Wizengamot, the eighth of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-four on the thirty-first of March, is called to session," Fudge intoned as he banged his gavel three times.