The Supreme Court, Interrupted Again and Again

The two walked through a long corridor and down a door to the tenth floor.

This floor was entirely composed of courtrooms. After passing through the First Courtroom and ninth courtrooms, they saw a large black door, behind which lay the tenth courtroom.

Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy were also there, talking about something, but stopped talking when they saw the two of them appear.

"Welcome." Fudge instantly changed to a smile. "I didn't expect you Aaron, to be interested in Harry Potter's public trial."

"No, it has nothing to do with Harry Potter," Aaron said seriously. "I came here purely on a whim, wanting to witness the trial in the Magic World."

Fudge paused, looking at Aaron with some suspicion. "As far as I know, your relationship with Harry Potter..."

"We're just ordinary friends," Aaron interrupted. "So Minister, don't worry that I'll speak up for him, and I believe the Ministry of Magic will be fair and impartial."

However, I have a small question, and I hope Minister Fudge can answer it for me.

What is it?

"Even if a minor Warlock did use magic outside of school, there's no need to organize a trial in Wizengamot!" Aaron's face was full of incomprehension. "This is the highest court in the Warlock world. It's a bit of an overreaction to try a minor."

"Oh, this..."

Fudge was momentarily speechless; he couldn't very well say that he was deliberately making things difficult for Harry Potter!

Logically speaking, such a minor matter could be handled simply by asking a few questions to a specialized department and being released without charge. However, the minister's power escalated the case to the level of a trial for Death Eater, intending to amplify the incident to the point of expelling Harry Potter from the Magic World, thus effectively curbing the rumors of Voldemort's return.

"Because of Harry Potter's special circumstances," Lucius Malfoy suddenly said, giving Fudge a way out. "Harry Potter is, after all, the Chosen One of the Magic World, so he can't be treated like everyone else."

"Yes, that's it," Fudge said hastily.

"I see." Aaron nodded, then looked at Lucius. "Uncle Lucius, are you here to listen in as well?"

"No, I just have some personal matters to discuss with Minister Fudge," Lucius said calmly, as if the attack on Aaron by the Death Eater two months ago was completely unrelated.

Aaron gave a meaningful smile, convinced that Lucius Malfoy had played a significant role in the trial of Harry Potter.

"Then let's go in first. Ask Draco for me."

Fudge pushed open the door and entered the courtroom first, followed by Aaron and Jeans, who then consciously sat in the empty gallery.

Fifty Warlock dressed in crimson robes sat on the tiered chairs at the front, looking at the two people Fudge had brought with them, equally puzzled.

"Let me introduce these two to you..."

"Mr. Jeans," came a surprised voice from the judge's bench, "What are you doing here?"

"Let's show the Gaius family heir to the world." Jeans smiled and pointed to Aaron sitting next to him, introducing him. "My young master is a student at Hogwarts, in the same class as Harry Potter, the person you are going to judge."

Of course, everyone should not feel guilty; just do what you believe is fair and just.

As soon as he finished speaking, the judge's bench erupted in uproar.

Those who knew Jeans and Aaron's identities wore solemn expressions, feeling they had to be dutiful in the upcoming trial. Those who did not know their identities, however, looked displeased, finding the two rather arrogant.

Since they were brought by the Minister for Magic, they didn't say anything.

"Looks like I won't introduce you." Fudge gave the two of them an awkward yet polite smile, then walked to his seat, right in the center of the judge's bench.

He was flanked by two witches, one the Director of the Department of Magical Law and the other the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Magic, while Ron's brother, Percy Weasley, was in charge of taking notes.

"Uncle Jeans, it seems like some of the judges recognize you!" Aaron looked at him with amusement. "Aren't you going to explain?"

"It's nothing, I just helped them with a small favor before."

"A little favor?" Aaron raised an eyebrow, his face seemingly saying, "I don't believe it."

"It was just a small favor," Jeans said dismissively. "Three of them are Auror, and I happened to save their lives."

One of them was the lady's senior, but she had a hereditary disease that St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries couldn't treat. It was the patriarch who asked me to deliver Lord Lant's elixir to her.

Another official's career was fraught with difficulties, and I pointed him in the right direction; otherwise, he wouldn't have the opportunity to sit here.

Aaron blinked blankly, speechless inwardly.

That idiot, what an idiot.

Five of the fifty judges owed Gaius a favor, which, though only a small percentage, determined the outcome of Wiseman's trial by vote, and sometimes the difference was just that one crucial vote.

Creak!

The courtroom doors opened again, and Harry Potter walked in, looking rather reserved.

Good morning, Harry.

"Aaron, Mr. Jeans, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, somewhat surprised.

"Come and listen in!" Aaron said matter-of-factly. "The judgment of the Chosen One is interesting to think about."

"Listen in?"

Harry's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the audience section, which only had two people.

They don't look like they're here to listen in; they look more like they're here to watch the show.

However, with two familiar faces present, he felt a little more at ease. After all, Mr. Weasley could only escort him to the door, and facing the malicious Fudge alone was somewhat nerve-wracking.

"Quiet!"

Fudge tapped the mallet and looked at Harry Potter, saying, "You're five minutes late."

"I didn't know the time had changed; it should have been nine in the morning."

"That's not Wizengamot's fault; we sent an owl to inform you long ago."

"Never mind, sit down!"

Harry gritted his teeth indignantly, feeling that Fudge was deliberately targeting him.

He actually did something as shameless as changing the time and place at the last minute.

Fortunately, Mr. Weasley had taken him ahead of time; had it been ten or twenty minutes later, these judges would not have had any impression of him at all.

"The defendant is here, we can begin." Fudge looked at Percy, who was sitting in the front row, and asked, "Are you ready to begin?"

"Prepare to depart, sir."

"Very good," Fudge said with satisfaction. "Then I announce..."

Halfway through his sentence, Fudge's face darkened as Aaron in the audience raised his right hand high.

His action was extremely conspicuous in the audience, where there were only two people present; he couldn't pretend he didn't see it.

"Does Mr. Gaius have any questions?"

"I'm very sorry to bother you all, but in my case, the defendant always needs a defense attorney!"

"Only Harry Potter; his lawyer wasn't present," Fudge said with a hint of smugness. "That's equivalent to him having no lawyer."

"Perhaps he didn't know the Ministry of Magic had changed the time at the last minute," Harry said weakly. "If possible, I suggest we wait a moment until my lawyer arrives."

"Heh!" A mocking glint flashed in Fudge's eyes. "This is Wizengamot. We all have our own things to do, so we probably don't have that much time."

Furthermore, Harry Potter, you are sorely mistaken if you think stalling will prolong your trial.

"I don't think so." Dumbledore strode in, standing behind Harry and looking sternly at the judges. "I am the defense attorney, Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore."

Dumbledore's arrival enlivened the atmosphere in the courtroom, and the fifty judges began whispering amongst themselves, each with their own distinct reaction.

Although the Daily Prophet smeared this highly respected Dark Lord in a terrible way, they all knew Dumbledore power and would not belittle him because of so-called public opinion.

"Thank you, Mr. Gaius," Dumbledore gentle smile. "Although I don't know why you're here, the little bit of time you've gained is very precious to Harry."

Aaron:...

This old guy has definitely misunderstood something.

Or perhaps he did it on purpose; such a statement might make others think he was there to help Harry Potter.

"You..." Fudge, both surprised and frightened, said involuntarily, "So you received our notification to change the time and place of the interrogation?"

"I don't think I received it, but... I made a lucky mistake and arrived at the Ministry of Magic three hours early."

"Okay! If you need a chair..."

"No need for you to trouble yourself." Dumbledore drew his Wand and shook it gently, conjuring up a soft armchair next to Harry, where he sat down.

Fudge gave a forced smile, then struck the gavel. "August 10th, disciplinary hearing, to hear the case of Harry James Potter, who lives at Number Four, Privet Drive Little Whinging, Surrey."

Interrogators: Minister for Magic Cornelius O.W.L.s Fudge, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Susan Bones, and Senior Deputy Minister Dolores Umbridge.

Trial recorder: Percy Ignatius Weasley.

Defendant's witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Bryan Dumbledore.

"The charges against the defendant in this case are as follows: the defendant intentionally, and fully aware that his actions were illegal, used a Patronus Charm, and in front of a Muggle." Fudge looked Harry in the eyes and asked seriously, "Do you deny using the Patronus Charm?"

"I won't deny it, it is..."

Fudge didn't give him a chance to speak, interrupting, "You know that you're forbidden from using magic outside of school until you're seventeen."

"Yes, that's right, but..."

"Gentlemen of Wizengamot ..." Fudge's voice trailed off as he raised his right hand again for Aaron.

"Does Mr. Gaius have any other questions?" Fudge asked, barely suppressing his anger. He now seriously suspected that Aaron was supporting his friend, otherwise he wouldn't have interrupted him repeatedly.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt again," Aaron said in a serious tone. "As everyone knows, Wizengamot is the highest court in the Magic World, but even when interrogating Death Eater, shouldn't the other party be given the right to speak?"

If the defendant isn't even given a chance to speak, then the hearing has lost its purpose; you can just proceed with the verdict.

Fudge's expression froze, his face twitched slightly, and he was speechless.

He was indeed the Minister for Magic, but it wouldn't be appropriate for him to abuse his power in front of so many high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic and other prominent Warlock.

"The defendant may speak," said Amelia, who was sitting to Fudge's left.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "The reason I used the Patronus Charm was because I encountered Dementor."

"Dementor?" Amelia frowned slightly, a hint of surprise in her expression. "Little Whinging?"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"What a clever excuse!" Fudge sneered. "Muggle can't see Dementor, can't they, kid?"

You are truly brilliant.

"I'm not lying, there were two in total," Harry said hastily. "If I hadn't used the Patronus Charm in time, the Dementor would have killed us."

"That's enough," Fudge said, waving his hand. "I think this must be a carefully fabricated story. You can't provide any eyewitnesses to this incident."

"I...I have witnesses," Harry stammered.

Fudge paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Dudley Dursley doesn't count."

"It wasn't him."

"Dumbledore doesn't count either," Fudge emphasized. "I'm sure he wasn't in Little Whinging back then."

"It's not Professor Dumbledore either," Harry said angrily, then looked at Dumbledore nervously. "Professor, Mrs. Figg ..."

Dumbledore gave him a reassuring look. "Minister, we do have a witness. She's right outside the door."

Fudge's face instantly turned ashen. "Weasley, you bastard."

Percy immediately stood up and ran out quickly.

Half a minute later, he returned, followed by a nervous old lady.

Dumbledore gave her his seat and changed to a different chair for himself.

"Name?" Fudge asked impatiently.

"Bellatrix Figg." Mrs. Figg was seeing such a grand occasion for the first time, and her voice trembled slightly. "I am a resident of Little Whinging, and I am Harry Potter's neighbor."

"But our records show that, apart from Harry Potter, no other Warlock Little Whinging," Amelia said. "Ordinary people can't see Dementor."

"Yes." Fudge immediately perked up and said excitedly, "I told you they were talking nonsense."

"I'm a Squib," Mrs. Figg said somewhat angrily. "Squib aren't registered with names, and they can see things that ordinary people can't."

Aaron's eyes widened slightly, and he glanced at Dumbledore as if he had suddenly understood something.

Having Squib as a neighbor of Harry Potter is tantamount to putting him under your watchful eye; Harry Potter's every move would likely be closely monitored.

More importantly, the Squib neighbor is essentially a legal undocumented immigrant, and no one would suspect a Warlock without Wand and no magic.

Tsk! No wonder Dumbledore a Dark Lord who has experienced two Warlock Wars.

That's incredibly high skill level; most people wouldn't even think of that.