Vincent threw down a large, heavy stone.
He hates doing this, he really hates it.
"Witness, were you attacked by the Basilisk on Halloween, October 30th?"
"Yes, another student and I both saw it with our own eyes."
Can you describe it?
"Its body was as wide as a stairwell, with emerald green scales and yellow eyes, and a pair of horns and bright red feathers on its head."
How did you avoid its gaze?
"I am an Alchemists's apprentice, and I always carry some gadgets to ward off attacks."
"How did you discover that the accused was planning to flee in the early hours of November 10th?"
"He was carrying a suitcase and hurriedly retreated into the stairwell."
"Enough!" Lockhart was tightly bound by the chains.
"Tom Riddle had been draining my life force, and he attacked me when I was noticing!"
Vincent and Fudge both sat down one after the other.
Bones held up a thick stack of parchment. "Accused person, according to the testimony of a witness who was not present, you roughly tackled her to the ground after she woke up."
"My mind was a mess at the time, and all I could think about was getting out of Hogwarts as quickly as possible."
"So—" she pulled out another document, "How did you know the location of the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Tom Riddle told me!" Lockhart was not lying.
Without the Parseltongue, it would be impossible to open the Chamber of Secrets.
Even Dumbledore needed a great deal of time to decipher the magic Salazar Slytherin had set up.
But that's just a legend, unless Harry is involved too.
Bones looked at the last witness, "The accused, we can prove that the existence of the Chamber of Secrets is not a secret."
Snape calmly stood up, without even glancing at Lockhart.
"Witness, you should know what it means for you to be able to breathe fresh air freely."
"Know."
"We will only selectively accept your testimony, and we hope you can understand our difficulties."
"I understand."
As a former Death Eaters, even with Dumbledore's guarantee, it would be difficult for him to regain everyone's trust.
"Witness, as the Head of Slytherin, are you aware of the legend of the Chamber of Chamber of Secrets left by the Founders?"
Snape, expressionless, replied, "I know."
"As Potions Master, can you prove that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is Basilisk?"
"I have studied its venom. This kind of venom, which can only be cured with Phoenix Tears, can only belong to the Basilisk."
Do you know how to open Chamber of Secrets?
Snape's breathing quickened. "A rather unusual code."
"Finally—" Bones put down all the parchment in his hand, "You had a duel with the accused, please tell me what the result was."
"It's a tie. Wayne and I were almost knocked off the field by his Stunning Spell."
As expected, the hearing proceeded in the direction that Lockhart was the mastermind.
Dumbledore, who knew what Tom looked like, wasn't there that night; McGonagall and Flitwick were dealing with Jormungandr in the Forbidden Forest.
The most senior professor Kettleburn, wasn't in the Great Hall at the time, and the other professors, like Snape, had never seen Voldemort during his student days.
Do we need portraits of the school principals to prove it?
Or should we use the students' memories to prove it?
Lockhart leaned back in his chair, his eyes vacant as he stared at the dark ceiling.
The hearings, presided over by the Supreme Wizarding Court and the Wizengamot, are the most authoritative in the entire British Isles Wizarding World.
Serious and meticulous, they were determined to convict him.
"The accused, can you prove that the soul in the evidence is Tom Riddle himself?"
Even veteran Death Eaters might not know, let alone photos of Tom from his school days, there aren't even any photos of him without a nose.
The only thing that could save him was the evidence presented by Dumbledore Vincent together.
But even if it's proven that Tom is Tom, so what?
Unless the Ministry of Magic, led by Fudge, acknowledges it, Tom cannot be Tom.
"I cannot prove it." Lockhart's blank gaze swept over everyone present.
"If only I had known Tom Riddle was that person sooner."
This statement resonated with many people.
The reason why Voldemort's true appearance and name are not revealed is because everyone knows that he did not actually die twelve years ago.
Faced with the devastating ruins, the Ministry of Magic had only two drastically different choices.
They either passively succumb to the shadow of terror or actively don a false shell.
But ultimately, it's all just "what if."
Ogden rose and announced the result, "This hearing is adjourned. The formal trial will take place on the 20th of next month."
Whether or not this process occurred is no longer important; Lockhart is destined to become the scapegoat.
To the outside world, Tom is the soul of the organization; he does everything.
Internally, sixteen-year-old Tom is not considered a threat.
The Horcrux must be kept completely secret until they are all found, Vincent can do is watch from the sidelines.
Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder. "We should get out of here."
"Yes."
Vincent got up and followed Snape, racking his brains for an excuse, when he saw Lucius and Narcissa walking over.
"Severus, it's been a long time." He put his hand warmly on Snape's shoulder.
"It's almost noon, how about we get together at my manor?"
That sinister expression... they're definitely plotting something.
Voldemort's escape route is blocked, so should we dig another one?
The junior student is a double agent, so it's easiest to dig him out from there.
Vincent didn't care whether they were plotting or catching up, as long as they didn't go back to Hogwarts immediately.
Snape, who walked ahead of Lucius, felt that something was off.
This familiar feeling means someone is plotting against me.
He first glanced behind him, then looked to the side.
He could still tell which situation was more serious.
In the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore chuckled and joked:
"Lucius's expression when he finds out the truth will be quite something."
Vincent's slightly sinister glance shifted from Snape's retreating figure. "Professor, he'll soon be making that face."
In a few days, Gwent and Wizard Cards will be released to the market.
This was a war in which "rivers of blood flowed".
The two exchanged a knowing glance for a moment, then walked out of the Ministry of Magic in perfect unison.
The two stood at the gate chatting idly, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive.
"Mr. Wayne— " Rita approached Vincent, very professionally holding a paper and pen.
"Excuse me, may I interview you?"
"Of course." Vincent looked at Dumbledore. "I happen to have an appointment with someone, Professor, would you like to come along?"
"Thank you for your kindness." Dumbledore blinked. "They would be very nervous if I were there."
Rita's smile grew even brighter.
It seems there's more than one big news story.