Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

“The Tenth Courtroom has been abandoned for years. I really can't understand why they suddenly changed their minds and decided to hold the inquiry there.”

Finally, the elevator reached its destination, emitting a heavy rumble.

“Quick! Jerry, you two, keep up!” The elevator doors clattered open, and Mr. Weasley urged them anxiously. They dashed like arrows released from a bow across a deserted corridor.

This corridor was completely different from the one above. It was empty and desolate, the walls bare, with neither doors nor windows. Only a solitary black door stood at the end of the corridor, appearing particularly out of place.

Harry had thought they would go straight through that door, but Mr. Weasley suddenly grabbed their arms and pulled them toward the stairs on the left.

“We have to go down!” Mr. Weasley gasped. “They must be mad to arrange the inquiry in a place the elevator can't even reach!”

They raced down to the bottom of the stairs and sprinted along a dark corridor. This corridor was exactly like the one outside the Potions classroom at Hogwarts: rough stone walls, flickering torchlight in sconces.

Finally, they stopped in front of a grim black door. A huge iron lock hung on the door, making it look exceptionally heavy.

Mr. Weasley staggered against the wall, clutching at his chest and panting heavily. “Go in! This is as far as I can take you. Good luck!”

Harry stood at the doorway, his throat dry, and could only swallow with difficulty, his heart pounding like a drum.

Jerry, without hesitation, twisted the heavy iron handle on the door and stepped into the courtroom first.

“Jerry, this… I seem to recognize this place…” Harry followed Jerry, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his voice tinged with hesitation and unease.

The surrounding walls were all made of black stone, the faint light of the torches flickering in the dimness. Rows of empty benches rose gradually along both sides.

Dark figures sat in the high seats, about fifty in number, all dressed in crimson robes, whispering to each other ever since Jerry and Harry entered the courtroom.

“I… I remember now, I've seen this place in the Pensieve,” Harry said, his voice trembling. “Many Death Eaters were sentenced here after Voldemort fell.”

“You two are late.” A cold voice interrupted Harry's thoughts.

“We didn't know you changed the time!” Jerry looked at the figure at the highest point and said loudly.

“This is not the fault of the Wizengamot,” Cornelius Fudge's voice echoed in the courtroom. “We notified you, this very morning!”

“The defendants are all here. Are you all ready?” Fudge looked around and asked loudly.

“Ready, sir.” A familiar voice rang out from the front. Jerry and Harry looked over and saw Ron's brother, Percy, sitting on the very edge of the front row of benches, his face filled with seriousness.

Percy had obviously become convinced by Fudge's rhetoric, and after a quarrel with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, he had moved out on his own.

At Grimmauld Place, his name had become a taboo. Mentioning it would make Mrs. Weasley cover her face and weep, while Mr. Weasley would get so angry that he wanted to smash things.

“Harry James Potter, let's start with you!”

“Regarding the hearing on August twelfth,” Fudge's voice was loud, while Percy nervously picked up his quill and began to record rapidly.

“Mr. Potter, this is not the first time you have violated the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy! Three years ago, you cast an Engorgement Charm on an innocent Muggle woman, causing her to inexplicably float into the sky above London.”

Harry was about to defend himself, but Fudge interrupted him rudely.

“Please wait a moment, Mr. Potter, let me finish.” Fudge said in an unquestionable tone.

“Now, let us introduce the identities of the interrogators: First, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, that is, myself; second, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Bones; and finally, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Madam Umbridge.”

“And the defendant's advocate, Albus Percival Wulfric…

Brian…

…Dumbledore.”

Everyone turned their heads sharply, and they saw Dumbledore walking in with steady steps and composure.

“Dumbledore?” Fudge's voice revealed a hint of nervousness. “Then, you… uh, I mean, did you receive the notification of the time change?”

“It seems that I shouldn't have received the notification…” Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. “But I made a small mistake. I got the time wrong, so I came a few hours early.”

Fudge smiled awkwardly and quickly signaled Percy to fetch a stool for Dumbledore.

However, Dumbledore simply waved his wand, and a soft armchair appeared in front of him. He sat down gracefully, looking at Fudge with interest.

“Well then, let's begin…” Fudge pulled out a piece of parchment, took a deep breath, and began to read aloud.

Under Dumbledore's forceful defense, and with the witness testimony of the Squib Mrs. Figg, even though Fudge argued red-faced with Dumbledore, when the members of the council raised their hands to vote, the number of councilors who agreed that the charges were unfounded still exceeded half.

Only Fudge, Umbridge, and a few pure-blood councilors who were prejudiced against Dumbledore insisted that the charges were valid.

Jerry sat aside, quietly observing all of this. Tonks was right, Amelia Susan Bones was indeed an impartial person, and she spoke a lot of fair words for Harry.

Although Jerry didn't know her, he was quite familiar with her niece, Susan Bones, at school.

“Great!” Harry was so excited that he almost jumped out of his chair.

“Quiet, quiet!” Fudge shouted angrily, trying to calm the uproar in the room. “Now it's your turn, Mr. Jerry Green!”

Even the councilors led by Shacklebolt, who were from pure-blood families, were surprisingly quiet.

Amelia Susan Bones also had a strange expression on her face.

“Mr. Green, do you have anything to say in your defense regarding these charges?” Fudge finished reading the contents of the parchment in his hand, glanced at Dumbledore, who was still calm, and turned to ask Jerry.

There was another moment of silence. Fudge couldn't help but cast a glance at Umbridge. Umbridge understood and slowly opened her mouth: “Mr. Green, does your silence mean that you plead guilty?”

“This… uniquely-featured… I’ll call you a lady for now; this seemingly aloof, unknown councilor, I think you can throw away the expired troll brain in your head and replace it with a fresher one.” Jerry said unhurriedly, sitting in the chair.

The fake smile on Umbridge's face almost collapsed. She stared at Jerry, obviously angered by Jerry's words just now, especially “seemingly aloof.”

“To be honest, I have quite the affinity with Dementors. This is not the first time I've encountered a Dementor attack, especially this time, the Dementors accurately found me and Potter, which inevitably makes people suspect, you say, right, this… lady!”

“What… a creative little joke…” Umbridge's mouth twitched, squeezing out a sweet, fake smile, her voice raised into a shrill tremor, but before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Shacklebolt beside her.

“I think the esteemed Mr. Green is right!” Shacklebolt's words stunned Fudge and Umbridge.

“Councilor Shacklebolt, what do you mean by that?” Fudge stared at Shacklebolt coldly. “Do you think the Dementors were deliberately sent by the Ministry of Magic to attack them?”

Regardless of the truth, could these words be said openly?

Shacklebolt ignored Fudge's words and continued to sit expressionlessly in his chair.

“Since Mr. Green doesn't intend to defend himself, and Dumbledore seems to have given up, let's proceed directly to a show of hands!” Fudge said sternly. “Those who agree that Jerry Green is guilty, please raise your hands.”

As the words fell, Fudge was stunned to find that no one except Umbridge raised their hands to support him.

“Esteemed Mr. Fudge, it seems that everyone doesn't think I should be punished!” Jerry said with a smile as he stood up, gently patting the dust off his robes. “Everyone, those who agree that I, Jerry Green, am not guilty, please raise your hands!!”

As Jerry's words fell, the pure-blood councilors, led by the Shacklebolt family, raised their arms one after another.

Amelia Susan Bones: ?

The sudden change in the courtroom made Amelia Susan Bones a little unable to understand, but she finally slowly raised her hand. Seeing this, the other councilors who were already confused and at a loss also slowly raised their hands.

Could it be that what Fudge said was true? Amelia Susan Bones looked around the courtroom, secretly thinking, did Dumbledore really want to kick Fudge out and take the seat of Minister for Magic himself?

Fudge looked around, his throat as if choked by a boulder. He stared straight at Dumbledore, his voice becoming hoarse: “Very well, very well!”

“The charges against Jerry Green… are unfounded.” Fudge sat down in his chair dejectedly, his voice tinged with unwillingness. “Dumbledore, you win this time!”

Dumbledore: …

Jerry: It's okay, no need to thank me!

Winter is coming soon in Britain, it's getting cold, let me add a coat for you!