Chapter 58: Chapter 058
It did not pass the notice of either teen that they were right alongside a door that led out of the chamber, but not out to any public area they knew of. Harry suspected it was through to the Members' area behind the tiers.
When the charges were read out it was clear the man was not unaware of them. He then immediately pleaded guilty to all bar one. That one dealt with the acceptance of bribes. Fudge's Law-wizard was clearly under orders not to fight the charges too hard, only the evidence given for the taking of bribes and only seek to clarify matters when he felt evidence was skewed.
When directly asked why he pleaded not guilty to the charges of accepting bribes, he said he did not see them as such and firmly believed them to be donations for each of his re-election campaigns as they arose.
However, he pleaded guilty to failing to report evidence that suggested Sirius Black was innocent. But tempered it with saying, while it was three teenagers who stated that without providing their own evidence, a Master Occlumens informed him he believed the three to be under the effect of Confundus charms. And a second wizard later told him he believed the same.
When asked who those two were, he replied, "Severus Snape was the first; and Albus Dumbledore was the second."
That led Harry to almost snarling in anger. Hermione just gave a sob and leaned on Harry's shoulder, softly crying. It was apparent that Fudge's testimony just drove another nail into the coffin of her respect for the old man.
Unknown to him, she'd still held out hope that Dumbledore's actions were either unintentional or misconstrued. Fudge's evidence burned that forlorn hope away.
"You were aware, were you not, that at the time you ordered the dementors to be brought in to administer the 'Kiss' to Sirius Black that he was already back in custody," pressed Longbottom, "And that he was also the Lord Apparent of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?"
Fudge gave a visible gulp and began to shake a little. "It... had not occurred to me, at the time."
"Considering you held the highest political position in magical Britain at that time, I find that very difficult to believe," she glared back at him. "However, we have no proof, either way, on whether or not you're telling the truth."
"Ignorance of that is not a defence, Chief Adjudicator Longbottom," Prosecutor Scrimgeour piped up.
"No, it is not," nodded Longbottom. "However, if he truly did not know, it offers explanation."
"And, yet, proof was available to him," argued Scrimgeour. "While those under-aged cannot be asked to give a vow as to the truth of their verbal remarks, they can give memories."
"Memories can be tampered with," argued the Defence Law-wizard.
"Only by those who are, themselves, Master Occlumenses," Scrimgeour argued right back. "And, if you argue they are Master Occlumenses, then you must also accept they could not be under Confundus charms. You cannot argue both."
"Alas, such memories were not offered at the time," he argued back.
"Nor asked for."
"Enough!" snapped Longbottom. "This argument will lead nowhere."
The court case wrapped up soon afterwards after almost an hour and a half.
The sentence was the immediate and permanent stripping of Fudge of his position as Minister, being able to hold any position within the Ministry ever again, being able to sit upon the Wizengamot in any capacity ever again, fined a total of one hundred thousand galleons and sentenced to Azkaban's light security wing, dementor free, for five years.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Next up came Umbridge. The stupid woman tried to bluster her way out of her own trial citing she was acting under her authority as Senior Undersecretary. And that what she did was because of matters the court was both not privy to and could not be told.
Longbottom immediately shot that down by stating, "If you do not tell us those reasons then they cannot be used by you in your defence. That has been a precept of law for centuries."
Her Law-wizard tried to argue her case was special and should be exempt from that precept due to her position, but failed to sway the Members. Even when he demanded a vote for it, which he'd lost, he still tried to argue for it. It took Longbottom having to tell him that if he continued to push for it he'd be ordered from the chamber for hindering the trial before he finally shut up about it.
It was then quickly clear to all that it was now clear to him he'd lost the case right at that point. From then on he was arguing for leniency.
However, the Members were not in a lenient mood. She was sentenced to ten years in Azkaban in medium security and led from the chamber in chains still demanding she was in the right and the Members were wrong.
Looking to the Members, Harry could see many of them were both relieved and or a little smug about her getting her comeuppance. Harry suspected that many of those she blackmailed were sitting in those tiers.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Once Umbridge was led out Longbottom ordered, "Bring in the next accused!"
Everyone expected it to be Barty Crouch Senior. However, that's not who came in.
Instead, yet another wizard stepped down from the visitors' gallery and walked forward. He appeared quite thin. He was also accompanied by another man at his heel. This one was a little more stocky.
It wasn't until he was walking forward, turned and winked at where he knew Harry was sitting with a smirk, that Harry realised who the slender wizard was.
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