The Wizengamot's Fourth Courtroom lay on the tenth basement level, beyond the reach of the Ministry of Magic's lifts.
This place seemed more oppressive and ancient than any corner of London.
The walls were built of unpolished obsidian. Torches cast dim, flickering light across them, stretching and twisting each member's shadow like ancient wraiths clinging to their bodies.
The members sat in tiers of seats arranged in a circle, wearing matching plum-colored robes embroidered with a silver "W." Their expressions were solemn, like judges of the underworld about to pass final judgment on the dead.
At the center of the hall stood an empty chair with magical shackles on its armrests, silently proclaiming the authority of this place.
But today's atmosphere was unlike that of any previous trial.
There was no defendant, no lawyer, not even a clearly defined agenda.
What filled the air was not judgment of a crime, but the suffocating tension of the eve of a clash between the old era and the new.
Lucius Malfoy broke the silence.
He rose gracefully, his long platinum hair particularly striking against his immaculate robes.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over every member present, wearing the Malfoy family's perfect smile, that blend of arrogance and courtesy.
"Honorable Chief Wizard, and my fellow members of the Wizengamot."
His voice was as smooth as velvet, echoing clearly throughout the hall with the aid of a slight Sonorus charm.
"I stand here today out of a weighty sense of responsibility. Out of the deepest concern for the future of our entire wizarding world."
He paused, allowing the weight of those words to settle slowly into everyone's hearts.
"We have all seen how, recently, a product called the Integrated Residential Defense Magic System has been entering every wizarding household at an unprecedented pace."