Harry was out of breath now;

He'd been in dungeons that were almost as terrifying as this one. Harry hadn't seen it before. Haven't been here either.

However, he had visited it with Van Lin in Dumbledore's memory basin, where he saw Barty Crouch Jr. sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

The walls are made of black stone, and the torches emit a dim light.

He was flanked by empty benches, but there were many shades on the highest benches in the top row.

They were all whispering, but there was an ominous silence in the hall as the door behind Harry slammed shut. An indifferent voice rang out in the courtroom.

"You're late. ”

"I'm sorry," Harry said nervously, "I-I didn't know time had changed. ”

"It is not the jury's fault," the voice said, "that an owl has been sent to your house this morning." Sit down. ”

Harry looked down at the chair in the middle of the courtroom, the shackles hidden in the armrests. He had seen the shackles pop out as if they were alive and hold anyone sitting in a chair.

He walked through the stone floor, and the echo of his footsteps was loud. The shackles clanged menacingly as Harry cautiously sat down on the edge of his chair, but they didn't lock him in.

Harry felt even more uncomfortable, and he looked up at the people sitting on the benches in the row above. From the number he could see, there were about fifty people seated, all dressed in plum-colored robes with a finely crafted silver "" embroidered on the left side of the chest, all staring at him from under their noses, some with meticulous expressions on their faces, others looking curious.

In the middle of the front row sat Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, or Minister of Magic.

Fudge was an obese man who often wore a gray-green magic hat, but he took it off today, and he took off the indulgent smile he used to wear when talking to Harry, a shift that gave Harry a feeling that he was almost out of place......

A witch with a broad, square-jawed sits to Fudge's left, wearing monocles and a terrifying expression. To Fudge's right was another witch, but she sat at the back of the bench, so her face was hidden in the shadows.

"Very well," said Fudge, "the defendant has arrived—albeit lastly—and let's get started." Are you ready?" he asked everyone in the room.

"Yes, sir," said a familiar and enthusiastic voice from Harry. Ron's brother, Percy, was sitting at the very edge of the bench in the front row. Harry looked up at Percy, hoping to see some sign in him, but didn't respond. Percy's eyes were hidden behind his horn-framed glasses, a piece of parchment in front of him, and a large quill in his hand.

"The disciplinary hearing on August 2nd," said Fudge in a loud voice, and Percy immediately took notes, "will be tried for the infraction of the Minor Magical Restriction Regulations and the International Magical Secrecy Ordinance, Mr. Harry Potter, who is now a resident of 4 Privet Road in the Little Whitking borough of Surrey. ”

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic, Amira Susan Bonis, Director of the Enforcement of the Magical Regulations, and Dorolls Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. Trial Recorder: Percy Agnates Weasley—"

"Defense lawyer, Albus Percival Woolfrick Brian Dumbledore," a calm voice sounded behind Harry, who quickly turned his head to look, only to twist his neck.

Dumbledore was walking peacefully across the room, wearing a dark blue robe with an extremely calm expression on his face. His long silver hair glistened in the light of the torch.

Dumbledore stood next to Harry and looked up at Fudge through the lenses, his half-moon framed in the middle of his long hooked nose. The members of the jury began to exchange words.

All eyes are now focused on Dumbledore. Some looked distressed, others were slightly frightened, and the two older wizards in the back row waved their hands in welcome.

When Harry saw Dumbledore, a powerful emotion rose from his chest, a feeling of hope that was no less than hearing the song of the phoenix.

He tried to see Dumbledore's eyes, but Dumbledore didn't look at him, he kept staring at Fudge, who was obviously embarrassed.

"Ah," Fudge said, looking completely panicked. "Dumbledore. Yes. Do you—well—get the word that we—well—change the time and place of the hearing?"

"I would have missed the hearing," said Dumbledore, gleefully, "and, thanks to a lucky mistake, I arrived at the Ministry of Magic three hours early, so nothing was lost." ”

"yes-well-I think we need another chair-I-Weasley, can you ——?"

"It's okay, it's okay," said Dundedo happily, pulling out his wand and making a small gesture, and a soft chintz armchair appeared next to Harry.

Dumbledore sat down, the ends of his long fingers spread out, and he looked at Fudge with an interested look through his fingers.

The members of the jury were still whispering, their expressions flustered and fidgeting, and they were not quiet until Fudge spoke again.

"Yes," Fudge said slowly, looking through his notes again, "Okay, then." Therefore. Accusation. Yes. Fudge pulled out a piece of parchment from the pile of papers in front of him, took a deep breath, and began to read it.

The charges against the defendant are as follows: The defendant knowingly used Patronus magic in a Muggle enclave in front of a Muggle at 9:23 p.m. after receiving a written warning from a magically similar charge, and should have been fully aware of the illegality of his actions. The defendant's actions violated Article 3 of the Magical Restrictions for Minors, enacted in 875, and also violated Article 3 of the International Federation of Wizards' Magical Secrecy Regulations.

"Are you Mr. Harry James Potter, who lives at 4 Privet Road, Little Whinging, Surrey?" asked Fudge, staring at Harry from the top of the parchment.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Three years ago you received an official warning from the Ministry of Magic about illegal magic use, didn't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"But you still cast the Patronus Charm on the night of August 2nd, right?"

"Yes," Harry said, "but—"

"You know that you are not allowed to use magic outside of school under the age of seven, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"You know you're in an area full of Muggles, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"You were fully aware of how close you were to a Muggle, right?"