Chapter Four - The Last Stand of Dolores Jane
As September days went, this one had begun with the promise of sunshine and heat and had lived up to its expectations. By the time the hour to resume the trial of Dolores Umbridge arrived, the heat of the day had made even the normally cool chamber uncomfortable. Yet the gallery was packed with spectators and participants. Since Hogwarts was in session, none of the younger members of Dumbeldore's Army were present, but the surviving senior members were there in force.
As Minister Shacklebolt gaveled the proceedings into order, only one seat remained empty. The seat beside Harry, the one that was unfailingly occupied by Hermione was empty. Ron sat on the other side of the open chair with Ginny leaning across Harry to whisper loudly to her brother. A hush came over the court as Shacklebolt and Aloysius Carrenton, Advocate for the Defense, exchanged remarks prior to the defendant beginning her testimony.
Moving deftly to her seat, Hermione's face was flushed as she handed Harry a large bundle of parchments and gave Ron her valise, flashing them all a very satisfied smile.
"Percy was looking worried that you weren't going to be here." Ron leaned over and whispered into her ear as she settled into her seat. "I think he was afraid that you had gotten tied up with Ollivander and lost track of the time."
"Ronald, when have I ever lost track of the time?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow that implied his answer was going to be taken under serious evaluation.
Leaning across Harry's lap, Ginny stage-whispered loud enough for the entire gallery to get a chuckle. "Only every time there's a book involved or a question you can't answer. Other than that, you're as punctual as the Cannon's first win of the Quidditch season." Giving Harry a wicked grin as she straightened up and tried to assume an innocent `who me' pose to deflect Percy's glare from the dais; she smiled sweetly at her best friend.
"'Mione, she does have a point, but I knew you would be here for this." Harry grinned, trying to keep Hermione from getting too flustered. He turned to Ginny and whispered something in her ear. The look of contrition on Ginny's face puzzled Hermione, but she gave his hand a quick squeeze and settled back to watch the proceedings.
Clearing his throat, Percy let his gaze settle on the wizard standing behind the defendant's chair. "Is the Advocate prepared to present the defense?" Nodding to the Advocate, he waited as Carrenton sighed and squared his shoulders.
"If it pleases the Wizengamot, the defendant has elected to speak on her own behalf and present her own defense. I have counseled her that she is not required to testify, other than to answer questions from the court regarding the facts of the case, but she has elected to present her case as an affirmative defense. It is her contention that she was simply following established Ministry policy and guidelines while she was the lawful head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Also, it is her contention that the Commission was simply trying to correct years of injustice and fraudulent behavior in attempting to reverse the crimes that the muggle-born have perpetrated upon unsuspecting witches and wizards for centuries." Looking very tired, Carrenton tried to smile bravely as he ignored the snickers and whispers that erupted from the gallery.
Lightly touching the tip of his gavel to the wooden surface before him, the Minister interrupted Percy's acknowledgement. "Aloysius, is there anything else before your client begins?"
"As an officer of the court, I'm duty bound to ask for a postponement of the proceedings in order that an evaluation of my client's competency can be made."
Smiling grimly, Kingsley slowly shook his head. "Sorry, old friend, that particular hippogriff has left the stables. Not following your advocate's advice is not, in and of itself, a sign that a defendant isn't capable of defending themselves."
Sighing, Aloysius shook his head and stated, for the record. "The defense calls Dolores Jane Umbridge to give testimony and present evidence in the matter of the Ministry of Magic versus Dolores Jane Umbridge." Slowly sinking into his chair, he gathered himself together.
Clearing her throat, the defendant began to rise. Seeing the sudden movement the two aurors that accompanied her began to move. "Let her stand." Percy ordered. "If she's going to insist on acting as her own advocate for this, we'll allow her the freedom to move from the witness chair and some leeway in her behaviour."
Looking directly at the defendant, he continued. "However, if her behaviour becomes a danger to herself or any other individual, you have my permission to utilize whatever magical force is necessary to regain order and control. And the Wizengamot is officially notifying the defendant that any statement or action she makes while acting as her own advocate will be viewed as pertinent to the case and the determinations of fact so she is warned that the leeway that is sometimes provided to advocates does not extend to herself." Waiting for a few seconds for an acknowledgement, he shook his head and asked, again. "Are these instructions clear, Ms Umbridge?"
"Yes, yes." Stepping away from the chair, she began to pace in front of the dais. "I realize that you have to go through the formalities since those dreadful children have pushed this farce this far, but I'd really like to get this resolved today so I can get back to work."
Moving over to the table, she picked up a four-inch thick bound volume of parchments. A similar volume sat before each of the members of the court. "I thank the Ministry for duplicating this procedures manual from the Commission. And I'd like to thank the members of the court for taking the time to read this and acquaint themselves with the guidelines and strictures that the Commission operates under."
Looking around and smiling sweetly, Umbridge seemed totally oblivious to the fact that most of the members of the Wizengamot were staring at her in utter disbelief, and the rest were scowling with such disdain that there could be no doubt in anyone's mind the opinions they had of the documents being referenced.
"As you can quite plainly read, we documented most carefully the long term insidious plot against the Ministry and the stability of the wizarding community here in Britain by the so called "muggle-born'. That they stole their powers and wands from unsuspecting witches and wizards goes without saying. Our goal and mandate was to educate the public about this threat, document the location of the muggle-born filchers of our rightful heritage, and finally begin to draft a solution that would allow the stolen powers to be rightfully returned to those whose powers had been diminished."
Pacing back and forth across the front of the gallery, Umbridge kept smiling at any of the members of the court whose eye she could catch. "The various hearings that have been so maliciously maligned during these proceedings were quite carefully controlled sessions where the Commission could evaluate and properly categorize the extent to which these so-called muggle-born had violated the rules of decent society in victimizing untold numbers of witches and wizards by stealing what was rightly theirs in the first place. The Dementors were merely there to protect Ministry personnel from these insidious and vicious criminals."
Stopping in front of the Minister and Percy, she looked up at them as if they were slightly backward students who did still not comprehend a lesson carefully prepared for them. "I think this should explain everything quite clearly, Mr. Minister." Waiting for a response that wasn't coming, she seemed quite unaware of the look of utter disbelief on Shacklebolt's face. "Now, I know you're a busy person, but surely you must a few questions so I can finally get back to my office and return to work."
As Percy picked up a roll of parchment and prepared to question the defendant, a voice rang out from the gallery. "A petition of amicus curiae is now laid before this court by a duly registered representative of the Ministry." Clear and strong, the voice of Hermione Granger cut through the whisperings that were emanating from the galleries.
.
Picking up his cue, Percy focused upon Hermione as if he'd never seen her before. "Please state you name and your reason for claiming amicus curiae status before this proceedings."
Sputtering and exploding into a torrent of unrecognizable sounds, Dolores Umbridge stared into the gallery at the face of her nemesis. "This is preposterous. That muggle born harpy can't have any legitimate position within the ministry, much less leave to sully these proceedings. She's beguiled that brainless boy into thinking she's something, but she's just one of those delinquents that plagued the school years ago. Dumbledore and Cornelius were both too soft-hearted to deal with the likes of her." Pointing a trembling finger at Hermione, she continued. "Go home, missy. My office will schedule you an appointment so we can sort you out. Hussy."
A hush fell over the chamber. With the exception of three people, everyone was staring at Hermione, waiting to see her response. Harry was busy restraining Ginny, Ginny was busy trying to elude Harry and do something very flamboyant and, most likely, illegal, and Ron was staring at Umbridge with a shocked expression on his face as if he'd never seen anyone quite so bent on self destruction before.
Only Hermione Granger was watching the defendant and smiling. Smiling as if Christmas, her birthday, and every holiday ever invented had just presented themselves to her all at once. Without taking her eyes from Umbridge, she answered Percy.
"My name is Hermione Jane Granger, accredited member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and registered representative for the Department for the purpose of these proceedings."
"And what standing does the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures have with this case." Smiling for the first time, Percy continued. "Surely it isn't the Department's contention that Ms Umbridge is a house-elf, is it?" Ignoring the strangled sputterings from the defendant, Percy waited patiently for the answer he knew was coming.
"Not at all, and Percy, you should be ashamed of yourself. You really need to apologize to house-elves in general and Kreacher in particular for suggesting such a thing."
Ignoring the laughter that was erupting from both the court and the gallery, Hermione continued. "The Department's standing with this case is very clear. Although shameful, Commission Directive Three is still, technically, on the books due to an oversight on someone's part. Since Directive Three, signed by the defendant herself, states that `muggle born witches and wizards cannot be considered as equal with witches and wizards born to wizarding families, they will be given limited status on a par with house elves, centaurs, goblins and other creatures of non-human and part-human status', and as the victims of her crimes are all, for the most part, either muggle born or the relatives of muggle born, the Department asks for leave to cross examine the defendant's presentation and present expert testimony as allowed under the Concords and the Rules of Procedure for the Wizengamot."
Taking a breath she smiled wanly. "It came as a bit of a shock to see that, as a muggle born I wasn't considered quite human any more, but since I fall, temporarily I hope, under the aegis of this directive, the Department wishes to involve itself in this matter."
Taking two steps in Hermione's direction, Umbridge stopped as she noticed the threatening looks on the faces of the aurors assigned to her. Sputtering profusely, she turned in the direction of the Minister. "Surely you're not going to let this travesty go on, Minister Shacklebolt? This chit of a thieving magpie is simply trying to muddy the waters here and cast doubts upon the reformations that my Commission enacted for the good of a peaceful and tranquil wizarding society."
Trying to appear, at least nominally, impartial, Minister Shacklebolt addressed the defendant. "Ms Umbridge, did Ms Granger summarize Commission Directive Three, which I see is, apparently, the only portion of the entire Commission apparatus that is still in effect?"
"You know as well as I do that that spell-robber parroted it back word for word. She hasn't the wit to understand, but she was always able to recite by rote anything she'd heard or read." Ignoring the look of cold disdain on Kingsley's face and the utter disbelief on Percy's she turned back towards Hermione up in the gallery.
"Are you still here? I told you to go home and wait for a hearing." The disturbance in the gallery was a bit noisier since Harry was having a more difficult time restraining Ginny, members of the DA was muttering among themselves and fingering their wands, and Ron was trying to stand, seemingly held in place by the one finger Hermione had placed on his shoulder. All the while Hermione was smiling sweetly and awaiting a response from the court.
Looking up at Hermione, and seeing her nod, Kingsley turned back to the defendant and sighed. "Since the defense acknowledges the basis for the petition of the representative of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the petition is granted under the Concords and Miss Granger will be allowed to proceed as a friend of this court to question the defendant and present testimony to illuminate these proceedings." Looking up, he smiled warmly. "Hermione, would you care for a short recess while you make your way down to this level?"
Laughing, Hermione genuinely smiled in return. "Thank you Minister Shacklebolt, but I can be down there in a shake. Far be it from me to interfere with the defendant's right to a speedy trial." Collecting her valise from Ron, she turned to Harry for the parchments she had entrusted to him earlier. Apparently noticing for the first time Ginny's attempts to free herself from Harry's grasp, she whispered "Ginevra, behave yourself."
As Ginny subsided, Hermione turned and walked to the edge of the gallery and looked over her shoulder. "Harry, if you could give me a hand down?" she asked as Harry gently moved her down to the lower level with a slight tick of his wand, nodding to her as she performed an impromptu curtsey. Walking over to the space before the bench, she looked up a Percy. "If it's not too much trouble, could I have something to put my notes on?" A very startled Percy conjured a small table and an elegant lectern for her use.
Placing her valise on the table, she set the parchments on the lectern and nodded pleasantly towards the advocate. Smiling sweetly, she waited as Umbridge stared at her while growing increasingly agitated. Waiting patiently, Hermione saw that an explosion was inevitable and she decided to see if she could prod the defendant into doing it now, rather than interrupting her cross examination. Hermione's patience was rewarded when Dolores' face turned a shade of red that she had only, heretofore, seen associated with warning lights and emergency klaxons.
Looking up at Kingsley, a fey light shining in her eyes, Umbridge sputtered. "Surely the Minister can't expect me to take this thieving slattern seriously?" Amazingly, though she was standing there looking expectantly at Kingsley, she failed to see the dangerous glint in his eye. She also seemed deaf to the mutterings from the gallery, although everyone else could hear Ginny's whispered pleading with Harry to let her go for `just one teeny little curse'. The only thing she did hear was Hermione's laughter, ringing throughout the chamber. Turning towards the younger witch, with a look of fear and loathing in her eyes, she continued. "Ask your questions, scant good it'll do you."
"Thank you, Ms Umbridge; I appreciate your cooperation with these proceedings." Hermione returned drolly, ignoring the background mutterings from both the court and the gallery. "I've read you presentation, and while it's remarkable in its scope, it seems to be lacking just a bit in specifics."
Smiling she waved her wand airily at a copy sitting in front of the advocate who was trying not to show any emotion at all. "It reminded me of `Holiday with Hags', without the scholarship of course." Open laughter began to erupt from the gallery. Looking up, first at Kingsley with a smile and then at Harry with an apologetic grin, she sighed. "But that's neither here nor there. There are a couple of things I'd like you to clarify for the court, if you would be so kind." Nodding towards Umbridge, Hermione waited for the inevitable response.
Glaring at her, Umbridge nodded her head, begrudgingly. "I'd be ever so happy to enlighten you. But seeing as I was unable to accomplish that in a year of classes at Hogwarts, I really don't think we have sufficient time for me to remedy you lack of understanding during these proceedings. Since I doubt you could comprehend any of it, is there a specific portion of my work that you would like explained?"
Touching her wand to the exhibit, the book obediently fell open to a spot about midway through. Double tapping the page in question and circling a specific passage, the text appeared in three inch tall letters in mid air. "Ms Umbridge, here on page two hundred fifty-seven and in one hundred and twelve other places in your treatise you refer to the muggle-born `stealing the wands and powers of unsuspecting wizards and witches' or words to that effect." As Hermione quoted the text in question, the phrase began to glow subtly as it hung in mid-air.
"Of course, that would be the only way someone like yourself could presume to usurp the powers rightfully belonging to those of us of the wizarding world. Being related to the Selwyn's..."
Cutting across the defendant's rambling, Hermione smiled wanly. "Yes, yes. I'm certain that all of that family history is most enlightening. But I have a relatively simple question to ask about that remarkable assertion." Waiting until she had Umbridge's attention, she shrugged her shoulders and asked, "How?"
"Beg your pardon? What a ridiculous question."
"Actually it's not. The crux of your entire theory is that the muggle-born have stolen their wands and powers from legitimate witches and wizards. So for a case in point, since I am muggle-born, how did I as an eleven year old muggle steal the powers and wand of some unsuspecting witch or wizard?"
Waiting with an air of amused anticipation, Hermione watched Umbridge's eyes narrow as she regarded her with a look of loathing. "There I was, all four foot three of me, a rampaging menace of bushy hair and grim determination." Slapping her hand sharply on the lectern in front of her, she fixed her gaze upon Umbridge and repeated herself. "Exactly how did that child steal someone's wand and magic?" Holding up her wand, she twirled the vine wood wand between her fingers, light glistening from it as a delicate tracer of golden motes fell from the tip like fairy dust. "This wand, the one I stole, according to your research and findings."
Not taking her eyes from the wand, Dolores nodded. "Yes, yes. That's the wand you stole from someone. We haven't figured out how to trace them back to the original owner, but we're working on that."
Laughing in response, Hermione looked around the room, from Percy to Harry to the darkened entranceway to the lower level. "Really? There's no one who knows who the wand was originally owned by." Watching Umbridge nod her head, she smiled. "If it pleases the court, I would like to call for expert testimony to refute that statement by the defendant."
Looking up at Percy, she returned his cautious nod with one of her own. "Under the concords and the rules of procedure for this august court, I ask that Ollivander the wand maker present himself before this body to enlighten us regarding wands." Turning to Umbridge and her advocate, she graciously held out a hand. "Unless, of course, the defense would care to dispute his expertise in this area?" Taking the speechless shock on Umbridge's face and the begrudged satisfaction on Carrenton's as assent, she turned to the entranceway. "Let Ollivander the wandmaker present himself for the pleasure of the Wizengamot."
Striding into the room, Ollivander approached the center of the court. Smiling at Hermione, he gave a respectful nod to Kingsley, utterly ignoring Umbridge and her advocate. Waiting with his hands clasped before him, his silvery eyes sought out the wand in Hermione's hand.
"Excellent my dear. May I?" Reaching his hand towards her, she smilingly surrendered her wand to the wand maker. Taking it from her, he ran his long fingers over the wood, quirked an eyebrow at her and proceeded to flourish the wand in a peculiar motion. A flock of canaries erupted from the wand, and flew straight into the gallery to circle around Ron's head, much to the discomfort of Ron and the amusement of the rest of the assembled crowd. "Seven and seven eights, vine wood with a dragon heartstring, with just a touch of give to it."
Handing the wand back to her he gave her a slight bow. "Both you and this wand have come a very long way since I sold it to you. It suffered not at all in the hands of Greyback, and it still rejoices in your touch." After smiling at Hermione, he looked up at Kingsley. "Eleven and three quarters palm with a sirrush heartstring core. I believe you have some questions for me Mr. Minister?"
"Not I, but our young friend here. You were listening to the testimony of the defendant regarding her remarkable theories regarding wands?" Watching Ollivander's amused nod, he continued. "I believe that Miss Granger would like your opinion on those claims."
Turning towards Umbridge and her advocate, Kingsley smiled grimly. "For the record, the Wizengamot and the Ministry both recognize Ollivander as the premier expert on wands and wand lore here in Britain, if not the known wizarding world. I trust there won't be any challenges to his expertise?" Waiting for both to nod their assent, he finished. "Miss Granger, please ask your questions of our expert."
"Thank you, Mr. Minister." Smiling she turned her gaze back to Ollivander. "Though I think you've answered the first of my questions, already." Holding up her wand she giggled as a few motes of golden light drifted down from the tip. "This is the wand that you sold to an eleven year old muggle born witch, namely myself? There's no possibility that the four foot three inch menace to wizarding society that I was stole this from some other witch or wizard?" Smiling widely, she watched the advocate try to keep a straight face as she asked her question in a voice that was pure innocence.
"Nonsense, child. I told you the day I sold that wand to you and your parents that it had been waiting for fifteen years for your hand. I am willing to affirm to this court that I sold this very wand to you and can account for its provenance quite clearly." Reaching out his hand once again, he asked, "May I?"
Nodding, Hermione silently handed her wand back to Ollivander. Focusing his strange eyes upon the vine wood wand, he made a couple of complex motions with his long fingered hands as the wand began to glow with a slightly golden aura. "Let's see, yours was the first hand after mine to awaken magic from this wand. The next hand was your Mr. Potter; permission was freely given by yourself. You and he shared use of the wand for a period of time. After that it was in the possession of Fenrir Greyback, although it barely tolerated the touch of his hand. Control was returned to you by your Mr. Weasley who allowed his and Mr. Longbottom's claim to the wand to cede to you. Since then, you've allowed your Mr. Potter to use the wand on a number of occasions." Quirking an eyebrow at Hermione as he passed it back to her, everyone watched as she blushed profusely as she accepted the wand. "I really don't see how you could have had time to steal this wand from anyone, since it's been yours since I placed it in a box on my shelf three years before you were born."
Forgetting that his client was representing herself for the moment, Carrenton stood. "Objection, I find it difficult to believe that anyone, even a distinguished expert such as Ollivander, can positively identify a wand with that degree of accuracy after so many years."
Looking at Carrenton, Ollivander spoke. "Eleven and a half, yew wood siren's hair core, very springy. But that's not the wand you carry now, may I?" Holding out his hand, the advocate passed his wand to the wand maker. "Hmmm, eleven and three quarters, cedar with a griffon heart core. You won this from Ludo Bagman on a bet during the 1972 quidditch playoffs. Who would have thought the Cannons would come back from a four hundred point deficit to win it after four days?" Shaking his head as he passed it back, he sighed. "I never did quite believe his story that his had been broken during a game against Puddlemere United."
Looking totally flummoxed, Carrenton softly withdrew his objection and sat down, staring at the wand in his hands. Staring indignantly at Hermione and Ollivander, Umbridge was sputtering and hissing like a demented teakettle. Looking back towards the defendant, Hermione smiled and asked sweetly. "I believe you're free to ask him any questions about his testimony you'd like. Don't be shy; I'm certain that you must have something you'd like to know."
Finally regaining control of herself enough to speak, Dolores launched into a tirade of invective that started with Hermione and gradually broadened to include every muggle born witch she could think of. After she was silenced by the auror assigned to her, Hermione shook her head. "As the muggles say, I don't think that was quite in the form of a question. Maegan, if you'd be so kind as to release her, she should be allowed to try again."
Nodding to the auror standing a couple of steps behind Umbridge, Hermione smiled reassuringly as the auror released the spell that had kept the defendant silent, for a few seconds. Nodding to Umbridge as the older witch visibly calmed herself, Hermione made a gracious gesture towards Ollivander, indicating she could commence her questioning.
"How can you come in here and bolster her lies?" Umbridge began, looking directly into the strange silvery eyes of the wand maker. "You couldn't have sold her that wand; she must have stolen it, just like she's stolen everything else." Breaking off her questioning, leaving a slightly befuddled Ollivander staring at her in quiet bemusement, she began to pace back and forth under the wary eyes of her keepers.
"That's all they're good for, coming in like vipers and stealing away magic and happiness and everything we're supposed to have." Looking up at the Minister and Percy, she pointed a stubby finger at Kingsley. "You're going to let this happen. You and your `reforms' are going to allow everything to be destroyed. Nothing will be left. They come in here, slinking around; flashing their muggle smiles, stealing what isn't theirs. It's not right, it has to stop."
Before the Minister could respond, before Advocate Carrenton could attempt to hush his client, even before Hermione could react to the outburst, a loud crack from the gallery drew everyone's attention to the seats away from the section where Dumbledore's Army was seated. A young witch, red faced and furious, pointed her finger at Umbridge as she stood facing the defendant. "Aunt Dolores, you're so full of tripe I'm surprised you can even stand there. This isn't about anything more than your still carrying out schoolgirl grudges. I told Mum that I was going to end this once and for all."
Silence reigned throughout the courtroom. No whispering just stunned silence. Dolores Umbridge seemed stricken dumb, her mouth working but nothing coming out. Finally Hermione took a deep breath and broke the silence.
"Hello Marietta. It's been a while. I take it you have something to add to these proceedings?"
Marietta Edgecombe swallowed and nodded slowly. "If it pleases the court, I would like to present information that will shed light on this entire sorry affair. My aunt is a vile and vindictive woman and this has got to stop today."
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