Harry Potter And The Betrayal

The trial resumed after a brief recess so everyone could take care of personal needs given that Harry's testimony had taken several hours to go through. The next up was Dumbledore.

Harry didn't pay much attention to Dumbledore's questioning until Delacour asked, "Given that you were head of the Wizengamot, why did you not push for a delay of Black's execution and a retrial or as we now know it should've been his first trial?"

Dumbledore looked very thoughtful. He could feel the bindings of the very powerful truth spell on him and knew he had to choose his words with care, because the spell wouldn't allow him to lie. "You have to understand Cornelius doesn't like to appear weak in front of anyone. By the time the children came to and told us that Black might be innocent, the Minister had already sent for the Dementor to administer the Kiss and he was not about to delay the sentence."

"Why didn't you order it delayed?" Delacour persisted. "As Head of the Wizengamot, you do have that power."

"I had planned on doing so," Dumbledore hedged and he would have if the children hadn't succeeded in getting Black away. "I had hoped however to make Fudge listen to reason, without forcing such a break between the two branches of our government. Unfortunately all Fudge could see was the acclaim he would get for Black's capture and removal and he would not have liked my interfering no matter how justified it may have been in the end. It was his belief that the Ministry mustn't appear as weak now that they had caught one of the Dark Lord's greatest supporters. If he had persisted in his intention I would have forced the issue before the Dementor could Kiss Black. With Black's escape that intention became a moot point."

Curious Dantes asked, "As Head of the Wizengamot why did you not exercise your authority to push for a new trial for Black once you suspected he might be innocent?"

"I would have once he was recaptured." Dumbledore hedged. "Once he got away, I had the Kiss order rescinded, but giving him a new trial would've had to wait until he was back in custody so that he could be questioned under Veritaserum and the truth learned once and for all."

Rather loudly from where Harry was seated there was heard, "*cough* bullshit *cough* bullshit *cough*."

"You disagree with some aspect of Headmaster Dumbledore's testimony, Lord Potter?" Dantes inquired. "You know he can not lie."

"No," Harry agreed, "he can't lie, but he can step very carefully around the truth."

"What are you saying?" Madame Bones demanded.

Harry met Dumbledore's gaze coldly. "I am saying that Dumbledore knew exactly where to find Sirius anytime he wanted to. He could've ordered a new trial at any time and then had Sirius brought in for it, but he didn't." Harry told her. "In fact in my fifth year he all but had Sirius under house arrest at one of the Black family properties, at least until Sirius came to my rescue in the Department of Mysteries and was knocked through the Veil there by his cousin Bellatrix. But that wouldn't have fit in with Dumbledork's plan of keeping me at my relative's because if Sirius were free, by Wizarding law he could take over guardianship of me and Dumbledore couldn't have that."

"And why would Dumbledore want you kept at your muggle relatives if there were someone else with more of a right to take you according to wizard law?" Lord Longrim inquired.

"Who knows why he does anything." Harry shrugged. "My personal opinion is that he wanted me so beaten down, not necessarily physically, though that would've helped is plans., so that I would do whatever he and the wizarding world wanted because I craved their acceptance."

"As fascinating as this is," Dantes put in, "Dumbledore isn't the one on trial… right now."

"You're right my Lord," Amelia agreed. "I will have my people look into it at a later date."

"Please continue Protector Delacour." Dantes requested.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, let's move onto the end of the Triwizard Tournament, where you advised Minister Fudge that the Dark Lord was back." Delacour moved on to his next set of questions. "How did the Minister take the news?"

"He refused to believe it." Dumbledore answered that question honestly. "He accused me of putting young Harry up to it and of trying to destabilise the Ministry, when I made some recommendations on the courses of action he needed to take to try and cut off Voldemort's potential sources of allies."

Between Delacour, the High Council, and Bones, Dumbledore's testimony went on for another hour. Nothing earth shattering came out of it, just more proof as far as Harry was concerned that Fudge wanted to go through life with blinders on if he could. The man should never have been made Minister, because while he loved the title and the prestige that came along with the job, he clearly couldn't handle the responsibilities and he wasn't able to make the hard decisions when needed and those decisions he did make were usually the wrong ones. The kind meant to enhance his public image rather than do what was right for the magical world.

The next witnesses were the Weasleys and Snape and their testimony went fairly quickly since the only thing they were questioned about was the incident in the Hospital Wing. Harry couldn't help smiling as Ginny gave her testimony. Her barking wasn't all that different from her normal voice as far as he was concerned. He just hoped she learned her lesson and would leave him alone.

After another brief recess, the next witness called was Delores Umbridge.

"Madam Umbridge," Everyone could hear the contempt in Delacour's voice as he addressed the toadlike woman. "According to Educational Decree number twenty-two which was passed August 30, 1995, the Minister appointed you as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher when Headmaster Dumbledore was unable to find a suitable candidate. Can you tell us why he felt the need to interfere in the running of a school that had been turning out fine witches and wizards for over a thousand years? And more importantly, can you detail what masteries and qualifications you had that made you uniquely qualified to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

Simpering like a schoolgirl and smiling what she no doubt thought was a pleasant smile, but it actually made everyone who saw it a bit nauseous, Umbridge said, "The Minister felt it was high time that the Department of Magical Education and the Ministry take a firmer grip of the reins of Hogwarts. The teachers who had been teaching there in the last few years were an unmitigated disaster. I mean Dumbledore hired a werewolf… Can you think of anyone who should have less contact with children and be less likely to teach impressionable minds well?"

"Actually madam," Delacour felt compelled to interrupt. "It is a well recorded fact that that the students who took their OWL's and NEWTs the year Professor Remus Lupin, the werewolf as you call him, taught were among the highest for the school in the last fifty years."

"The Minister's point exactly. We should have far more qualified teachers teaching these impressionable minds." Umbridge hurried on. "It isn't right that a werewolf could outdo a regular pureblood wizard in a teaching position."

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