The Protector

Our Hearing

I slept well that night. Better than what I had in months. I woke up and got ready in the best business dress I had. I straightened my hair and was ready to go.

We traveled by subway/metro. It was cute watching Mr. Weasley figure out the muggle ways of life. We crowded inside a telephone booth. It was snug. I didn't fancy it.

We went down. We stepped out. It was filled with wizards and witches coming from everywhere. They were even coming out of fireplaces. Floo powder I guessed.

Daily prophet made me disgusted. Dumbledore: Draft or Dangerous, I mocked. You make me disgusted.

We made our way into the main part. It was huge. Harry and I were in awe by how big it had gotten. There were huge golden statues and small offices with windows protruding outwards.

I looked to Harry. He was focused on a banner. I looked. It had Fudge's face on it. I looked back to Harry, who seemed angered. I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. He smiled at me and I let it go.

We entered a crowded elevator. I thought we should've waited for another one, but it could've made us late. So I didn't complain.

Above us flew paper airplanes. But it was like they had a mind of their own. Mr Weasley explained that they used to use owls before this but they made such a mess. I could only think of one thing that he meant by that.

Kinglsey got on the same elevator. A few seconds later, Mr. Weasley piped up, "Great. Thank you Kingsley for informing me. Kids, they've changed the time of your hearing."

"When is it?" Harry and I asked.

"In...about five minutes."

"Is that legal for them to do without notifying us?" I asked.

"Better not question it," Arthur told me. "It'll g eat ya into deeper trouble."

The elevator went off. We arrived moment later in the Department of Mysteries. We got off and went to walk towards the courtroom. Harry and I stopped in out tracks. Fudge and Malfoy were talking quietly to each other alone. Malfoy and I made and held eye contact for a solid ten seconds. I tried to focus long and hard enough to get the message to him that I know who he was and what he did. But I couldn't. Mr. Weasley pulled Harry and I along.

"In the hearing, speak only when you are spoken to," Mr. Weasley told us. "Understand?" Harry and I nodded. He glanced down, "I'm serious Bridget. And be calm. We know you've done no wrong." We nodded. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm not allowed to go in with you, so good luck. You've got this."

Harry and I grabbed each other by the pinky and began to walk in. We let go when we entered the room. We sat in separate chairs. Around us the court was large. Nearly every seat ahead of us were filled. Fudge sat at a very tall judge booth.

He began, "This is the disciplinary hearing in August, put into action by Harry James Potter, resident of 4 Private Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, and Bridget June Meadows, resident of 6 Private Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, prior to the incident in May. The interrogator: Cornelius Oswald Fudge-"

"Witness for the defense!" We heard a loud shout from behind us. I knew who it was: Dumbledore. I hid my smile until I turned to see him walking fast towards us. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"Oh good," Cornelius nodded. "You have received our message about the change of place and time of the hearing."

"I would've missed it," Dumbledore answered. "But lucky for me, I arrived a little early." There was a murmur in the crowd. "What are the charges?"

"The charges are as follows that they did knowingly and fully aware of the consequences of their actions: produced a Patronus charm in the same place as a muggle. Do you deny this?"

"No," I shook my head.

"No-" Harry started.

"And you had been aware that you were forbidden to use sorcery outside of Hogwarts until the age of 17?"

"Yes but-" I started.

"Yes," Harry said at the same time I did.

"Wizards and witches of the council," he turned to them.

"We did it because of dementors," Harry finally interrupted. I had been waiting for him to speak up so I can. Everything got quiet. Only small gasps.

"There were dementors in Whinging?" A woman from the group spoke up.

"Very witty," Fudge nodded. "Especially since muggle can't see dementors."

"We're not lying," Harry spoke up.

"Wait, muggles can't see them?" I asked. "I wasn't aware of that. It makes so much sense now. There were three. If we hadn't have-"

"Shush," Fudge put his hand up to silence us, mainly me. "I apologize on interrupting what would've been a very thought out story, but since you cannot bring a witness of the event-"

"Pardon me, minister, but we did bring a witness," Dumbledore was so chilled out. I didn't understand how he could be calm in a moment like this. They brought in Mrs. Figg. I had forgotten she had seen it. She explained everything to them as we sat in the seats.

After she recited what she saw, Cornelius turned to the council behind him, "But dementors in a suburban area? The possibility of that for no apparent cause would be so low."

"I highly doubt anyone would believe the dementors were there just to be there, Minister," Dumbledore stepped forward.

A small cough came from the other side of the council. We all looked. A tiny woman, who I could tell I was going to hate, spoke up, "I think I misunderstood you, Professor. Dementors are under control of the ministry of magic after all. Now this might seem a bit silly of me to say, but it sounded as if you were saying the Ministry caused the attack on these young kids."

"That would be quite devastating, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "Which is why I believe the Ministry will be going into an investigation of why they weren't at Azkaban and why they attacked without cause."

There was a commotion in the seats. I smiled, Get 'em Dumbledore!

"And, I think we all know who might've set this attack in motion," Dumbledore tilted his head slightly. Dumbledore got close to Cornelius but I couldn't hear the words that were being said.

"In Mr. Potter and Ms. Meadows defense, the law states magic may be used in the presence of muggles if there is a life threatening situation."

"Law can and will be changed if necessary," Cornelius was getting angry.

"It seems here that we've had to undergo a whole criminal trial of jury for a slight cause of underage sorcery." Once again, murmurs through the crowd.

One lady finally spoke up, "Those in favor of punishment?" A few people raised their hands, including that one lady I hoped to never see again. "Those in favor of abolishing all charges against the accused?" Majority put their hands up. I smiled, We won't bitches.

"Clear the charges," Fudge knocked his gavel but didn't seem to happy about it.

I turned to Harry, "We can go home now!"

Dumbledore turned and began to walk away. Harry and I stood up, "Professor Dumbledore?" He didn't stop. He kept going. Didn't even look back.

"I'll tell him thank you later," I smiled. "Now come on. I want to go home."