The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 695 Post-War Trial
The victory is ours!
This is the front-page headline of the Daily Prophet, louder than the spring thunder in March, injecting warmth into this cold season.

The Daily Prophet reported in detail the successive battles that took place at Dingworth, Fertile Fields, Godric's Hollow, and Hogwarts, and the accompanying pictures showed the Hogwarts castle being repaired and Voldemort's cold body.

Later that day, the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet issued a public statement, reaffirming that Voldemort was dead, the British Wizarding War was over, and the wizarding world had ushered in peace.

Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, all media in the wizarding world were reporting the arrival of peace.

boiling!

Crazy and enthusiastic celebrations swept across the British Isles. Wherever there were wizards, you would see their blooming smiles, the wine glasses in their hands, and the brilliant fireworks in the sky...

Celebrating people poured into the streets of Diagon Alley, and many wizards even walked to Whitehall and Trafalgar Square. Their strange attire immediately attracted the attention of Muggle police officers, and they were almost arrested by the conscientious police officers.

The wizards partied all night, and the Leaky Cauldron sold more drinks that night than it had in the previous year. Tom, the bar owner, laughed again until his eyes and teeth disappeared.

The wizards’ celebrations were even more lively than in 1981, and the Ministry of Magic naturally received a warning and accountability from the International Confederation of Wizards - but who cares about the International Confederation of Wizards!
Damn it, no one can deprive a wizard of his right to celebrate!
If the International Confederation of Wizards has a problem with this, send Babajide Akinbade here in person and have him talk to Esmeralda Drizzt! May Merlin bless poor Akinbade!

Yes, Ada's name has spread to every wizard family in Britain, and even babbling children can say her name, although these children do not know the meaning of this name.

Esmeralda Jessica Drizzt defeated the arrogant Voldemort and ended the Dark Ages with her own hands. She is the leader who leads people to victory.

And at this moment, what is Esmeralda Drizzt, the hero and leader praised by everyone, doing?

Ada was attending the Ministry of Magic's trial of Death Eaters in Courtroom Five, a dark room that was much larger than Courtroom Ten, which was inaccessible even by elevator.

Although much larger in area, the fifth and tenth courtrooms were equally dim and eerie, with all light coming from torches on the walls.

In fact, the layout of each courtroom in the Ministry of Magic is almost the same: the walls are made of black stone, and on both sides and in front of the door are rows of densely packed benches, arranged in a stepped manner.

In the center of the courtroom is a chained chair that can be seen from all seats in the room.

Sometimes, depending on the prisoner, those metal chains were replaced with sturdier cages.

The Fifth Courtroom had not been used for a long time. If it were not for the trial of Death Eaters and if it were not for allowing more people to witness the trial process of Death Eaters, this courtroom would still be sealed.

Dark figures kept swaying in the room, and rows of gradually rising benches were filled with people.

Sitting on the bench on the left were representatives from all walks of life and the media; in the middle were officials from the Ministry of Magic, including Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Director of the Department of Legal Enforcement who presided over the trial; and on the right were the Wizengamot in purple robes.

Ada was sitting on the bench on the right. She had officially joined the Wizengamot and temporarily took over the position of Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot. No one was more suitable than her for this position that once belonged to Dumbledore.

"Lucius Malfoy." Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep, slow voice spoke, his voice drowning out the whispers in the courtroom.

"Here." Lucius Malfoy sat in a chair in the middle of the courtroom. His pointed face was still pale, but he looked in good spirits, many times better than when he was first brought back to the Ministry of Magic.

Although he was detained in the Ministry of Magic, Mr. Malfoy no longer had to bear the pressure from Voldemort, nor did he have to worry about dying at any time. Instead, Lucius Malfoy looked a little more plump.

"You are accused of being a member of the Death Eaters, participating in Voldemort's terrorist activities, and participating in the wizard war instigated by Voldemort..." Kingsley announced Malfoy's crimes one by one, "Do you plead guilty?"

Lucius Malfoy raised his head, and his gray-blue eyes searched for Ada in the Wizengamot seat before he said, "I plead guilty, Mr. Director."

Suddenly, the courtroom became noisy. Everyone thought that Lucius Malfoy would speak wildly like other Death Eaters, or deny it as he did in the past, saying that he obeyed Voldemort because he was under the Imperius Curse.

What was unexpected was that Kingsley merely stated his crimes without even producing any strong evidence, but the veteran Death Eater Malfoy simply bowed his head and confessed!

boom! boom! boom!
Kingsley knocked the gavel in his hand three times in a row, and the courtroom finally quieted down. Everyone shut up and stopped discussing why Lucius Malfoy pleaded guilty so readily.

Just when everyone thought that Kingsley, who was presiding over the trial, was about to make a verdict, the chief unfolded a roll of parchment.

He began to read: "The criminal Lucius Malfoy surrendered himself voluntarily. He behaved well while in the custody of the Ministry of Magic and provided assistance to the Ministry of Magic many times in combating Voldemort and the Death Eaters gang..."

In a short while, Kingsley finished reading the contents of the parchment. All that was written on it was Malfoy's behavior of turning from evil to good while in custody, and he was pleading for him.

"These are the materials submitted by the former Minister, Pius Thicknesse, and the current Minister, Mr. Arthur Weasley," Kingsley said. "Do you have any objections, everyone in the Wizengamot?"

The Wizengamot in purple robes all expressed no objection. It was obvious that the Ministry of Magic wanted to protect Lucius Malfoy. They had a tacit understanding on this point, so naturally no one would be so blind as to jump out and object.

Kingsley then handed the parchment to the clerk and asked him to circulate it to the people's representatives.

After several selected representatives confirmed that everything was correct, Kingsley rang the gavel again.

He said loudly: "Now, I ask the Wizengamot to take a vote. Those who think that Lucius Malfoy's crimes should be sentenced to imprisonment in Azkaban, please raise your hands!"

In the Wizengamot sitting on the right side of the courtroom, several wizards raised their hands immediately, while others had no intention of raising their hands at all, and more Wizengamot members looked at Ada, waiting for her to express her opinion.

Ada looked at Lucius Malfoy in the center of the courtroom. In fact, she could have helped him get rid of the crime, and she also had reasons to help him escape trial, but she still sent Malfoy to court, which was enough to show her attitude.

Death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be avoided.

The Ministry of Magic tried the Death Eaters with great fanfare, and the sentences handed out to all were life imprisonment, in order to warn everyone - you can be a dark wizard if you want to, you can be a Dark Lord, but you must be prepared to be killed or live in Azkaban until you die!

Ada slowly raised her left hand. As she moved, the sound of robes rubbing against each other could be heard from the right side of the courtroom, and the number of arms raised was dense.

The hammer struck again, and Kingsley Shacklebolt said loudly: "Now the verdict is pronounced. Lucius Malfoy is found guilty. Lucius Malfoy is sentenced to three years in prison, to be executed immediately! Take him away!"

With that, two Aurors carried Lucius Malfoy out of the courtroom.

The representatives of the public looked at each other. Malfoy had the shortest sentence since the Ministry of Magic tried the Death Eaters. However, no one raised any objections. After all, Malfoy was a surrenderist and had provided help to the Ministry of Magic, so it was normal for him to have a short sentence.

Lucius Malfoy, who was sentenced to imprisonment, was also satisfied with the result. Isn't it much better than losing his life or life imprisonment?
Besides, Malfoy has been in the custody of the Ministry of Magic for a year, and this time can be used to offset his sentence.

Besides, the Ministry of Magic is short of money, very short of money.

Hogwarts needs to be repaired, Hogsmeade needs to be repaired, and the three wizarding gathering areas also need to be repaired. As long as the Malfoy family makes some more contributions, his sentence can be shortened again.

Lucius Malfoy was taken away by Aurors, but today's trial was not over, it was just the beginning.

(End of this chapter)