Harry Potter and the New Order
By: JA_Japster
Obligatory Disclaimer:
The Harry Potter series is property of its respective owners and all that other good stuff that prevents me from being sued. All original characters are property of mine, blah blah blah, don't steal them, blah blah blah, or I'll hunt you down with a knife, blah blah blah.
Chapter Three: Guilty, guilty, guilty
Harry
We all saw Hermione falter. It was a rare and unsettling sight to see Hermione at a loss of words, to not know the answer to a problem.
Fudge seemed to notice this and smelled triumph. He seized the moment. "For the multiple use of an Unforgivable Curse which led to the deaths of twenty inmates of Azkaban, I suggest a sentence of death. All in favor?"
Hands were raised. More than half. More than three-fourths of the council actually. But not all. The council had to reach a unanimous consensus to pass down a sentence of death. Fortunate for me; not for Fudge though who looked like child deprived of a special treat. I would have laughed out loud if the thrice-damned mask permitted. Haha, Fudge, you can't get rid of me that easily. The thorn in his side would remain, untouchable behind the stone walls of Azkaban.
I saw Hermione breath a sigh of relief, and that comforted me ever so slightly, to know that she was still on my side. I hated myself for dragging her into this, to make her feel responsible for a case that was doomed to failure. I might have outwitted death this time, but there would be no escaping a life sentence.
Fudge took a moment to recover, and breathing heavily in frustration, he labored on. "For the multiple use of an Unforgivable Curse which led to the deaths of twenty inmates of Azkaban, I suggest a life sentence of incarceration in Azkaban without the possibility parole. All those in favor?"
Guilty, guilty, guilty.
"For the assault on multiple Ministry officials?"
Guilty, guilty, guilty.
"For the use of unauthorized wandless magic to cause disruption of the peace and death?"
Guilty, guilty, guilty.
All composure lost, a victorious Fudge slapped his hands loudly on his desk and boomed, "The Wizengamot find Mr. Harry James Potter guilty on all charges presented, and hereby sentence him to three life sentences of incarceration in Azkaban! May you rot there, Potter!"
There were no cheers of joy as the sentence came down. No applause as the Wizengamot filed out, nor the flurry of gossip as the spectators followed. To them, the law had been carried out, but little could assuage the lingering guilt that they had condemned the once savior of England to an eternity in damnation. Soon, the courtroom was empty, save for Hermione.
She stood there, frozen in time, locked in the moment when the reality of the situation came crashing down. The look of shock and denial was still etched in her features, an objection that would never be spoken poised on her lips. Finally, she slowly turned and looked across the chamber at me.
At that moment a team of Aurors came storming in, wands held at the ready. One quickly unbound me and dragged me to my feet while another conjured a fresh set of cords to bind me. They moved to take me away, to drag me off to Azkaban, but suddenly Hermione rushed to block their path.
"I want to speak with him." Hermione said.
"Sorry, miss. Can't let you do that. Minister's orders." The lead Auror replied. They tried to push past Hermione, but she was unyielding.
"I want to speak with him." She repeated, slowly this time, the menace in her voice evident. Her words were underlined by an unspoken threat, a threat even the most powerful wizard would not take lightly. I had seen charging Hipogriffs look nicer than Hermione at the moment.
The Auror licked his lips nervously and glanced at the doorway where the council members had exited from. When it became clear that Fudge was not going to pop out of it and catch them, the Auror reluctantly nodded. "You have two minutes."
Wordlessly, one Auror magically unlocked my mask and removed it. The other three took flanking positions around me, their wands leveled at my head. The slightest twitch, I knew, and they would fry me without hesitation, just like any good Auror.
I heard Hermione gasp as she stared at my face. There was no mask to hide behind, nothing to conceal the ugliness and the horrors that the past five years had inflicted. My hair was long and untamed, my skin pale from too many sunless days, and a plethora of scars kept the famous lightening bolt on my forehead company. I was not ashamed of my appearance; I had paid for it and bore it with pride.
I half expected Hermione to launch a tirade, to scream at me for not being there for five years. For turning my back on her and Ron. She could scream and accuse me, and I would not respond because she would be right. But she did not. Instead, she hugged me, and I could see tears forming in her hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She whispered into my chest. An Auror hastily pulled her away from me, as if I was about ready to go crazy again and kill everyone here, a walking time bomb just waiting to go off.
I tried to smile, but I could not. I had not smiled in years, and the gesture no longer fit on my face. Like a glove that you once wore, but now was too small. "Did you try your best?" I asked.
"Of course I did." Hermione responded, resentful that I would even suggest that she had not tried her best on anything.
"Then what do you have to be sorry for?"
Hermione sobbed silently, confused and overcome by the wave of emotions that assaulted her. Anger, spite, love, pity, all combined into a moment of heart-wracking indecision that distorted into a river of tears as she tried to find words to speak.
"I don't understand…" She whispered.
I did not have explanation, because I didn't fully understand either. Maybe I never would.
"Look, Hermione, I don't have much time." I said. "I'm sure Fudge will move to seize my assets and claim them as Ministry property, so I moved them."
"To where?" Hermione asked.
"To you. Everything I own is now yours. I have a feeling I won't be needing them anyway."
"Y-you can't," Hermione protested. "It's too much."
God knew how many galleons were in my vault under Diagon Alley. Already rich from my parent's and departed god-father's inheritance, my lucrative career as an Auror only added to my assets. It was enough to make anyone dizzy.
"It's already done." I said. "You can do anything with it that you want. Anything."
Hermione became suddenly angry, those familiar flames leaping to her eyes. "Is this your idea of compensation?" She spat venomously. "For ignoring your best friends for the last half-decade? For forgetting about Ron? For forgetting about me?"
I had prepared myself for this moment for over three and half years, and yet her words still felt like a dagger plunging deep into my heart, tearing apart whatever little of Harry Potter still remained inside. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. "No. Nothing I can do can make up for that."
Author's Notes:
I already have chapter three complete, and chapter four is about 75% done. Some reviewers have commented on the apparent lack of H/Hr in the fanfiction so far, and to that I have to be patient. I'm not much of a romance writer, and while I know that juggling a love plot with the darker storyline will be difficult, I'm going to try my best to make sure it's included. I'm also looking for anyone who would be willing to proof read future chapters, so if you're interested; drop me a line at JA_Japster@hotmail.com or in the review section. Thanks!