The War for Souls

Chapter 13--The Trial

The eve of the trial, Harry couldn't sleep at all. He tossed and turned in his bed for hours, and finally collapsed into what could at best be described as a fitful sleep. Morning came far too early. It was raining when Harry dragged his uncooperative body out of bed, and dressed in his finest robes. Perfect, he thought, that's just how I feel. He walked downstairs, kissed Ginny good morning as she set his breakfast in front of him, and promptly raced to the bathroom to vomit. This he repeated three times before he finally forced down some dry toast. Then he sat and waited in the sitting room while the rest of his housemates dressed for the trial, and vomited again while he was waiting.

The Portkey was set for nine, and about fifteen minutes before that, Harry noticed that Ron, Hermione, and Neville were gathered in a corner, talking in hushed tones and pointing to something in front of them. The other girls were still upstairs dressing, so Harry strained to hear what his friends were discussing; assuming that it probably involved him in some way. A moment later, he realized he needn't have bothered.

All three of them came marching over, levitating Ron's chessboard in front of them. "Okay, mate," he said. "We figured there might be a problem, so here's the deal. We know he's after you primarily, so if anyone does attack, we've got a plan to get you out."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione cut him off. "Don't say it Harry. You know we're right. You have to get out of there if there's an attack."

"But what about Susan?"

"Voldemort doesn't know about her. I'm fairly sure he knows about you. That makes you a bigger target."

"As if you weren't a big enough one already," added Ron.

"Thanks, Ron. But still, I mean--"

"What's going on?" asked Ginny as she led the other two girls down the stairs.

"Strategy," said Ron. "Okay, 'Mione."

Hermione flicked her wand, and the chessboard became a miniature of the Great Hall at Morag. "The king is you," said Neville. "We're the pawns." Ron tapped the board, and each of the pawns now had a letter on it. Luna, if anything happens, you move right away to this back door--you know the one I'm talking about?" She nodded. "You make sure the way to the staircase is clear, then go on downstairs and check it out." As he said this, the pawn with an L on it detached from the clump of pieces at the front of the mini-hall, and moved to where the side door would be.

"Hermione stays to the back," said Ron. "She's the best dueler. The rest of us make a box around Harry and get to the manticore's vault."

"Manticore?" said Susan incredulously.

"He's not there anymore," said Luna. "Pity, he could help defend Harry."

"Too bad," said Neville.

"No, I wonder..." said Hermione, and rushed to the fireplace.

"Hey, five minutes until the portkey," yelled Ron, but she ignored him.

They couldn't hear a word she said with her head stuck in the fireplace, but she had a dejected look when she pulled it out. "No go," she said. "I thought maybe Hagrid could send Leander back to Morag for a little while, just a little extra security, but Hagrid says he doesn't know where he got off to."

"I can't believe he'd let--no, I can. This is the same person who brought us Blast-Ended Skrewts, after all."

"And brought a giant to live in the Forbidden Forest," added Ron.

"He brought a giant? To Hogwarts?" asked Susan.

"I keep forgetting," said Ron, "that you don't know everything we do."

"I promise," said Harry. "One day before we go back, we'll tell you the whole story, beginning to end."

"Portkey in one minute," said Hermione.

"Oh, where'd I put it?" said Harry.

"Now's a fine time to--" Hermione was cut off by Ginny shoving a teacup into her hands.

"Thirty seconds," said Ron, looking at his watch. Everyone put a finger on the portkey. "Fifteen seconds."

"Got everything?" asked Harry.

"Too late if we don't," said Ginny.

"Five...four...three...two...one..." The portkey activated, and Harry felt himself jerked out of the sitting room. Slowly the Great Hall of Morag began to rush towards them, and Harry felt sucked into the space. They landed in an unceremonious heap at the foot of the dais.

"Good morning," said Dumbledore, reaching a hand down to pull them to their feet.

"Good morning, Professor," said Harry. "We can start soon, I hope."

"As soon as you are ready, all the jurors are now here." Harry looked around the room. The long table at which they had heard Sirius' will had been moved onto the dais. A high-backed chair covered in red velvet sat at the center, flanked by two slightly lower chairs. The others were all standard chairs. A frighteningly familiar sight sat in front of the dais--the chain-covered metal chair from the Wizengamot Courtroom.

"This doesn't look right," said Susan.

"Ah," said Percy Weasley, seemingly materializing behind them. "This is a royal courtroom. The chair at the center is, of course, the throne of the Ambrosius. The two chairs at his side are usually taken by his Chief Councillor and his Consort. However, he doesn't have a queen, so--"

"Ginny, the one on the right, Hermione, the one on the left," said Harry quietly. He stopped Percy's objection with a look.

"Harry," said the interrogator, holding him back a moment as the two girls took their seats. "Are you sure?"

"You said the Consort and the Chief Councillor," he said, and climbed the dais to his own chair.

"Your attention!" called Percy after a moment. "We are ready to begin, if you would take your seats. Jurors, please sit at the high table, all others may sit in the gallery." It took a moment for everyone to find their places, and Hermione leaned over to Harry.

"Still the same old Percy, isn't he?"

"Of course," he said. "But at least he's on our side now."

"You doing alright?" she asked.

Do I look okay? I've been retching all morning, and I feel like death warmed over, and I have to sit here and pronounce judgment on six men. "I'll make it." Just then, Ginny reached over and laced her fingers with his. Yeah, I'll make it.

"The Court of His Majesty the Ambrosius of Wales is now in session!" cried Percy, his voice magnified. "Enter the accused, Antonin Petrovich Dolohov!" Dan Smythe and another man Harry didn't know came in, bringing Dolohov bound between them. They placed him roughly in the chained chair, and it instantly bound him tightly.

"Mr. Dolohov," said Percy. "Do you have Counsel, or shall the Magistrate appoint one for you?" Dolohov said nothing. "Sir, do you wish Counsel appointed for you?"

"Fools!" spat Dolohov. "Do you think I care for your charade?"

"Magistrate?"

"Appoint Counsel for him," whispered Hermione. "He didn't bring one with him."

"Who?" he hissed back.

"Um..."

"Potter," whispered Professor McGonagall, sitting on the other side of Hermione. "Dedalus Diggle is a solicitor."

"I appoint Dedalus Diggle to serve as Counsel for Mr. Dolohov, if he accepts," said Harry. Hermione nodded to indicate her approval.

"Of course, sir," said Diggle.

"You pathetic fools," said Dolohov. "You care so much for show, but can you stand before the Dark Lord?"

"Mr. Dolohov," said Percy, ignoring the last comment. "You stand accused of murdering Edgar Bones, a wizard, and Laura Bones, a Muggle; of attempting to murder Hermione Granger, a witch; and of taking service with the Dark wizard styling himself Lord Voldemort. How do you respond?"

Harry was taken aback. He had never figured Percy for one brave enough to say Voldemort's name, particularly to a Death Eater.

Dolohov sneered at Percy, but did not respond.

"Magistrate, the accused has failed to respond to the charges. I request that I may continue questioning."

"No objection," said Diggle excitedly.

"Mr. Dolohov, are you a so-called Death Eater, in the service of the Dark wizard Voldemort?"

"I serve the Dark Lord," said Dolohov slowly. "I will not be judged by Muggles and Mudbloods."

"The accused admits to the charge of service with a Dark wizard," said Percy. Harry noticed for the first time an animated quill recording every word said.

"Mr. Dolohov, did you enter the Department of Mysteries in June on the orders of this Dark wizard?"

"I will not be judged by Muggles, Muggle-lovers, and beasts," said Dolohov.

"Magistrate, the accused's hostility and his refusal to answer demands the use of Veritaserum."

Harry nodded. "Magistrate," said Diggle, bowing so his top hat fell off. "I would only like to know the brewer of the Veritaserum you plan to use." Harry shook his head sharply at Diggle, unwilling to reveal Snape.

"Albus Dumbledore, a licensed Potions Master," said Dumbledore, standing and producing a clear vial from his robes.

"Of course, sir," said Diggle, bowing again. Percy took the vial from Dumbledore, and dropped three drops onto Dolohov's tongue.

"Mr. Dolohov," he said. "Did you enter the Department of Mysteries in June on the orders of the Dark wizard Voldemort?"

"Yes," said Dolohov without expression.

"Did you there attempt a potentially lethal curse on Hermione Granger, a witch?"

"Yes."

"Which curse did you attempt?"

"Extorum Inflammare."

There was a gasp in the room, and even Percy seemed to fight back emotion. Hermione's face was pale, but she stared at Dolohov still.

"Did you succeed in cursing Miss Granger with this spell?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I was unable to speak the incantation."

"Mr. Dolohov, in 1981, did you murder Edgar Bones, an Auror, on the order of the Dark wizard Voldemort."

"Yes?"

"Why was Mr. Bones a target for your attack?"

"Because he was a Muggle-lover, and he was a nuisance to the Dark Lord."

"Did you murder Mr. Bones' wife?"

"No."

"You did not kill Laura Bones."

"I killed her," he said. "It is not murder to kill those who are little more than beasts."

There was another shocked gasp, and Harry glanced at Susan. Neville had his arm around her shoulders, and Harry thought he'd never seen her more enraged.

"Magistrate, I have no further questions. I put the case to the jury."

"Now what?" asked Harry, looking plaintively at Hermione.

"You remember who the jurors are, right?" He nodded. "Ask them how they find." He nodded again.

He looked to his right, and began calling off names at that end of the table. "Nymphadora Tonks?"

"Guilty," she said.

"Molly Weasley?"

"Guilty."

"Alastor Moody?"

"Guilty."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

"Guilty."

"Minerva McGonagall?"

"Guilty."

"Ronald Weasley?"

"Guilty."

"Remus Lupin?"

"Guilty." There was a dull thud from the area of the door. Harry looked up briefly, then down again.

"Arthur Weasley?"

"Guilty." There was another thud, but more distinct. It sounded like a knock at the door.

"Neville Longbottom?"

"Guilty." Another thud, followed by a creak.

"Something isn't right," said Hermione. Harry closed his eyes for a moment.

"Mr. Dolohov," said Harry. "By unanimous vote, this jury finds you guilty of murder, attempted murder, and service under a Dark wizard."

"What will you do to me?" asked Dolohov tauntingly. "The Dark Lord will free me from prison."

"I have no doubt," said Harry. "I sentence you to imprisonment for the remainder of your life, and to have your memory removed, by means of the Obliviata Totalus charm."

The mask of anger and hate on the Death Eater's face melted. There was nothing but pure terror there. Moody stood up, and pointed his wand at Dolohov's face. Dolohov cowered back in the chair, desperate to escape. "OBLIVIATA--"

"BOOM!" The back doors of the hall exploded off their hinges, and at least twenty masked men rushed in.

"TOTALUS!" roared Moody. A jet of light flew from his wand and struck Dolohov in the temple. His eyes slid apart, and he slumped in his chair. A curse hit the table in front of Harry, and it cracked in half.

Harry stood to run, and felt a hand pull him to the ground, behind the wrecked table. "Change of plans," whispered Ginny. "Just stay here for now."

"LEAVE THIS PLACE!" roared Dumbledore's voice. The reply was apparently a curse sent his way, which he deflected.

"Ginny, get out of here," said Harry.

She had other ideas. She jumped up from behind the table, causing him to lunge after her, missing the back of her robe by inches. A curse shot past his ear, and he spun away from it. "Mucous Vespertilio!" screamed Ginny. A puce -colored jet shot from her wand and struck a masked man in the face. Suddenly, huge bats erupted from both nostrils, and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Tonks nailed him with a Stunning Spell, and he fell silent.

The battle raged around the hall. Harry saw Ron blast a rock out of the wall onto one attacker, then saw Hermione petrify another. Lupin wasn't bothering with a wand, for the most part, using his werewolf strength to launch men clear across the room.

"Conjunctivitis!"

The curse flew past Harry's ear as he ducked. No more thinking! Fight, Potter! "Reducto!" He blasted the floor where his attacker stood, and launched him into the air.

"Avada Ked--" The curse was cut off as the attacker met the edge of the dais, falling onto the main floor.

"Stupefy!" He rolled down, unconscious. Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of flame, and turned. Someone had set fire to a table on the far side of the room.

"Pluvius!" screamed a voice that Harry identified after a moment as Luna. Thunder clapped, and rain began to fall across the whole hall.

Dumbledore moved in front of Harry now, his eyes full of rage as he dueled with another man. They aren't Death Eaters. Harry stared for a second, puzzled. Malfoy!

There was a noise behind Harry. He turned to see what it was. A man in silver robes faced him, wand pointed. He muttered a curse under his breath. Harry felt a sharp pain in his side and arm, and dropped to the ground. The world went black.

*****

Ginny saw Harry fall out of the corner of her eye. "No!" she screamed, running to his side. Her hand shaking, she felt a ragged breath escape his lungs. "Hermione!"

Hermione came running over. "Stasis," said Ginny. "I don't know how to do it." The older girl muttered a spell, and Harry's anguished expression faded to a peaceful, almost entranced look.

"How touching," drawled Lucius Malfoy's voice from behind the mask. "How pathetic."

"You foul, evil--"

"STUPEFY!" Malfoy dropped to the ground, striking the stone floor hard. "Don't argue with them," said Neville. "Stun them and be done with it."

Hermione nodded. "Emergency plan?"

"Get out any way we can," said Ginny. "Susan!"

"What? I can't--" Her voice was cut off as a jet of red light struck her side, and she fell.

"Revive her!" yelled Neville. Luna was near her, and did just that, dragging her to her feet.

"Come on," said the Ravenclaw girl. "We're getting to Harry."

Ron reached their side about the time they made it to the corner where Harry was lying. "Some emergency plan," said Susan.

"Can you..." He looked at Hermione without finishing the sentence.

"Mobilicorpus," she said. Harry's body floated into the air in front of them, and the rest formed a circle around him. Ginny heard a crash behind them, and saw that a huge gargoyle had been blasted from high on the wall and crashed to the floor.

"Let's get out of here, please?" Ron nodded, and much slower than they would have liked, they moved towards the back door.

"Going somewhere?" asked a thin voice. A stringy boy about their age stood in the doorway, his mask in hand.

Neville didn't bother with the niceties. In a second his wand point was between Theodore Nott's eyes. "Out of our way." Ginny glanced at Neville, his face was hard as stone.

"I don't think so, Longbottom. I don't take orders from Squibs."

"Stupefy," said Neville, almost lazily. There was a look of shock on Nott's face as he dropped to the ground.

"No noise," said Hermione in puzzlement.

Ginny turned around. The battle that had raged had been winked out as fast as it occurred. There was virtually no one in the Great Hall now. Six of the silver-masked men were on the ground, obviously unconscious. Dolohov cut a morbidly comedic figure, slumped in his chair, drool running down his chin. Rock dust permeated the air. The grotesque head of the fallen gargoyle was staring directly at Ginny, across the slumped form of a fallen Order member. Like a figure from a dream, Remus stepped out of the dust, pausing to revive the stunned man.

"Harry?" he asked.

Slowly, gently, Hermione lowered him to the floor. "Stasis," she said. "It was all I could do."

"No, you did right," he said. "Does anyone remember what hit him."

"Blue," said Neville. "It was a blue light."

"Dark blue or a lighter blue?"

"Dark," said Ginny. "Very dark." Remus nodded. "He'll be okay, right, Remus?"

"I'm not a Mediwizard. There's nothing I can do right now. I'll be right back." He turned and walked back into the pall of dust.

*****

It was as though someone cut on a switch, and all of Harry's senses came alive at once. His eyes snapped open, he heard voices, and the smell of burning rock accosted his nostrils. He saw familiar faces leaning over him. Ginny--he knew without seeing that it was her--took his hand and squeezed it gently. The last thing to come back was the pain. His whole right side was on fire. Countless knives were stabbing his lungs. He wanted to speak, cry, squeeze Ginny's hand, anything, but all he could muster was a small sob.

"How is he, Poppy?" he heard. It was Dumbledore.

"Not well, Albus. All the ribs are broken, the arm bone is shattered. His lung and kidney are both punctured."

"He won't..." That was Hermione.

"No, Miss Granger, I do not believe he will die. However, it will be a long recovery."

"Quidditch?"

Leave it to Ron to ask about Quidditch.

"I should hope not," said Madam Pomfrey. "Not for quite some time."

"Well Gin," said Ron, "you can stay Seeker."

"Ron!"

Ginny leaned over. "Can you hear me?" He blinked. "Good. I love you," she said, smiling at him.

"Miss Weasley," said Madam Pomfrey. "I have to put him back in stasis to move him." She stood up, and Madam Pomfrey pointed her wand at him. The switch cut off his senses, and he faded again.