Ravenclaw's Blue Gem

"Obviously this is the case. It's the first time he has come to the ministry. There must be a guide."

"It's not that I think too much, your relationship with him is really good."

"My son Ron and Harry are good brothers... and he is not the only one. You know that many people in our family go to Gryffindor. It is always easier for the children of an academy to get to know each other. Deputy Minister Mrich." Arthur was very careful not to let her get the information he wanted from these conversations.

"This boy is very famous." Umbridge nodded. "I heard that Dumbledore takes him seriously?"

Arthur is still thinking about how to answer this question. If the answer is yes, maybe Harry, who is not on the key watch list, will also get into trouble. If the answer is no, he must lie to solve the matter.The Ministry of Magic has their own way of obtaining information, and it is not casual to deny these facts.

"The person that Dumbledore values ​​is me, not a mere "boy who lives in distress"." Unexpectedly, the girl on the other side behaved very unacceptably, and the tone was also very intense."I am his pride. When can you remove those eyes that can only see the surface honor and disgrace, to see the real situation of the boy? Is it possible that he has at least one final grade better than me?" Speaking too arrogantly, Umbridge couldn't see the trace of lies hidden in it, but she didn't want Zoe to find superiority in anything, so she stopped talking about the relationship between Dumbledore and Harry.

Umbridge closed his mouth and let Arthur breathe a sigh of relief. He secretly looked to the girl who was standing upright. He didn't know if she was trying to get him out of the siege, or whether it was really a dispute between children, but no matter what Anyway, at least Harry hasn't been taken seriously yet.He glanced at Fudge again, guessing his next move.

The atmosphere in the elevator became more stagnant. No one wanted to speak. Fudge just stared at the glowing numbers and kept changing, and no one stopped the elevator to join in.Until the sixth floor, the cold female voice sounded again: "The sixth floor, Magic Transportation Department. Including the Floo Network Management Bureau, Flying Broom Management and Control Bureau, Door Key Office, and Phantom Transformation Testing Center." Arthur was relieved. He arrived at his destination.

After that, the elevator quickly reached its destination: "The Department of Mystery Affairs." But this time, unlike other times, the elevator did not announce its subordinate agencies, but returned to silence.Fudge strode out of the elevator, Zoe felt Umbridge walking behind her, and deliberately pushed her when she got out of the elevator.

Zoe looked towards the corridor, which was a very quiet, very quiet place.There are only one or two torches to provide the light source. Even the flames are beating silently. There are no extra doors or windows in the corridor, and of course there will be no people.Here you can see nothing but look forward. There is a closed black door with no decorations on the door.

Zoe couldn’t look away. She felt her heartbeat beating very fast unknowingly. Everything around her disappeared in her eyes. Without Fudge, without Umbridge, even the corridors and torches disappeared. , She was the only one left, and the black door that was getting closer and closer to her.She wanted to go up and push it away. This desire-wang gradually became stronger. She had already raised her hand, and the door seemed to be close at hand...

But someone took this hand and pulled her back to reality from the trance hallucination."Come here." Fudge's voice was like a basin of cold water, which made Zoe aroused.Fudge looked at her impatiently. In front of him, there was a downward staircase. It turned out that there was an entrance in the middle of the corridor, and this is where they really should go.

Chapter 15 The Trial (Part I)

"Go in, someone will take you into the courtroom later." With the sound of the key entering the keyhole and the sound of the latch being moved, the heavy wooden door opened, revealing the outline of the stone chamber.They descended the stairs and came to a deserted corridor with thick stone walls. There was a small door closest to the stairs, which was inconspicuous compared to the other doors next to it.

Zoe noticed that there was only one row of chairs in the room, and the rest of the room was empty."You haven't told me the time to start?" She stared straight at Fudge, and Fudge frowned."Two hours later."

"By the way, Zoe." Umbridge seemed to have never heard Zoe's dissatisfaction with her calling her by her name before. He smiled and clapped his hands in a compassionate manner, "You haven't Let’s have breakfast. Let’s prepare it for you. What do you want to eat?"

"No need, Ms. Umbridge." Zoe also smiled, "Thanks to my previous frugality and saved some bread and water, I am not hungry at all now. Besides, it would be nice if you bother you. I don't want to wait. When I stand on the seat, I spit out something because I ate too much--mainly some private information pressed in my heart."

"You can really make a joke." Umbridge looked at her. "Because it's really funny, we won't pursue the thoughts that you exposed before... You have to remember, Zoe. What you think It’s not the rules of how the world works. Provoking or discrediting things you can’t provoke won’t make you better.”

"Of course I will remember it, madam." Zoe turned and walked into the waiting room, the door closed again behind her.

Two hours.Zoe pondered over it carefully, why had to wait these two hours?Except for what I learned from the conversation between Fudge and Umbridge before, Barty Crouch probably hasn’t been able to transfer over, but that’s never a problem. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s only a dozen minutes at the latest... …It seems that the Ministry of Magic wants to reconfirm the card in his hand?Or that they haven't held all the cards.

What made her gratified was probably the presence of Cedric and Harry, so that they were unlikely to get any excuses for offense in this matter. What could be more than the testimony of the parties returning from that environment. powerful?As long as the Ministry of Magic has not bought all the judges who appear in court... this is also unlikely. You must know that even if some of the high-ranking officials of the Ministry are also members of Wisengamo, they are only part of them, even all the people from the Ministry. , And he might not listen to Fudge on this matter. In this way, it would be unrealistic to completely manipulate voting.

To be honest, no matter what Zoe thinks, she doesn't feel that her losing face is greater than her winning face. It's better to say that the situation is just the opposite. Her advantage is too obvious.Crouch is crazy, not to mention that he will really recognize himself, and the reliability of his testimony must be compromised; not to mention that the so-called "evidence" after her will be between Cedric and Harry The two witnesses were fragile, and she only needed a flamboyant "behavior under the control of the Imperius Curse" (obviously the truth could not be found at all), and she would be able to recover the identity of the "victim" from the "perpetrator".And this was also the most effective excuse for those Death Eaters who didn't want to go to prison in the past.

But Umbridge's pride made her a little uneasy. She always felt that this woman was still thinking about something.Umbridge is more dangerous than Fudge. If Fudge still values ​​face and reputation, but is too conservative and incompetent, then this woman is like a poisonous snake lurking in Fudge's shadow. She doesn't care about being confronted. , But she can have no flaws when she is in front of people, and can smile and greet people who were still hostile to each other last second.

Sitting in a cold, hard chair, it feels uncomfortable at all.She lied to Umbridge. She only drank a little water this morning and didn't eat anything at all. Now the feeling of hunger began to flood in the stomach, and gradually became a kind of prickly as the degree deepened. Pain, she could only put her hands on her stomach and then curl her body.

It would be great if Dumbledore could bring her something, even if it was just a bag of chocolate frogs.Thinking of the Chocolate Frog, Zoe was a little excited. She had to think of herself as strong as a warrior, instead of succumbing to the violence that was unable to deal with in the past. She is fifteen years old and will be an adult in two years and cannot continue doing it. A person who only complains and does not want to face reality.

This trial did not allow unrelated personnel to enter, nor were they allowed to watch, otherwise she could see Hermione.Compared with the desire to meet Hermione, the Chocolate Frog would of course be thrown away.Even the pain in the stomach can be relieved because of this. Just thinking of lovers who have not seen each other for months, Zoe wants to kick them because of the time wasted by the Ministry of Magic.

During the months in Azkaban, she didn’t have much time to think about other things. Every day, she spent a lot of time memorizing those thick materials, whether they were seen in the past or the rest that had not been seen. , Her mind is full every day.The former owner of Azkaban could not send home most of his information, only a few parts of his diary, and Zoe knew that most of the things left there were only one copy.

But when the thoughts jumped out of the mind uncontrollably, the thoughts overflowed like water.I want to spend three days and nights talking to her, holding hands, and kissing, and I want to kiss every place I can touch, and I want Hermione to do this to her.It doesn't matter even if you declare this feeling loudly to the whole world. As long as you can meet again and you can talk to each other, what else is worth hesitating and reserved?

********

I don’t know how long the time has passed. There is no way for her to calibrate her time. Just recalling the time with Hermione, she didn’t feel too uncomfortable. Maybe she was used to the pain and the stomach sensation became too. Much slower.This is a good thing, after all, Zoe doesn't want to have to deal with his own stomach while dealing with those enemies in the dock.

But when the wooden door was pushed open again, she quickly recovered from her sweet fantasy. The shallow smile disappeared from her face like a bubble, and she looked out the door with a tight face, and Zoe blinked. , The surprised voice leaked out unconsciously.

"Dumbledore!" The old man did not look different from the previous few months. The pair of steady eyes that seemed to see through were still hidden under the lenses. Dumbledore had always maintained a calm face because of seeing She smiled slightly, but it was fleeting and became more serious again.

"I said that we will not let her have an accident before the trial begins." Fudge's cold voice came from Dumbledore, "Well, now you have confirmed that the situation is good, and it's time to enter."

"Dumbledore, you didn't trim your beard." Zoe ran to Dumbledore, and while Fudge was locking the door, he quietly said to him.

"There are a lot of things to do recently, but last week someone praised me that I look good when I grow longer." Dumbledore's tone relaxed."Just don't drag it to the ground." Zoe said with a smile.

"Is it all right?" Zoe asked worriedly, "If there is anything I can help..."

"Take care of yourself, Zoe. Now this is the best thing you can do for me." Dumbledore looked at her. "Nothing to eat?" Zoe shook his head.Then he discovered that Dumbledore had given her a bag of things.

"What's the matter with you, Miss Siegel?" Fudge turned around and frowned when he saw Zoe swallowing.

"It's nothing...hiccup...just a hiccup." Zoe said calmly, but she didn't speak much next, especially when she saw Fudge move his nose because of the smell in the air.

The three of them went straight all the way. There was no fork in this corridor, only a door was arranged on both sides, and a large black lock was hung on the door.Fudge led the way, and he finally stopped in front of one of the doors.

Pushing open the door, it is a deep stone room, the walls are all made of black stones, the dim flame light also makes the surroundings gloomy, maybe it is to put the prisoners under psychological pressure, even the temperature is higher than the outdoor Lower.In the center of the stone room is a chair with a strong chain on it.Zoe knows very well that this is the position she should sit in. It was her nightmare in the past, and it was the past that she didn't want to think of until now. The judges sitting in the highest seats in the front are always condescending. Seeing all this, the audience on the raised chairs on both sides also regarded her as a joke for entertainment.

Zoe took a step back and bumped Dumbledore.The latter put a hand on her shoulder, this support always brings strength, so that the anxiety and pain will disappear.Zoe took a deep breath. She was no longer the one she used to be. She didn't lower her head and walked over in silence, at least to let these people know that she was definitely not someone who could be manipulated.

Walking across from the front with their fists clenched, there are already quite a few people sitting on the high platform. They are wearing the same style of fuchsia robes. All of these people’s robes are embroidered with a silver "W" on the left chest. Their expressions are solemn and solemn. It was like a god holding the hammer of trial, but there were still some of them who nodded to Dumbledore as he went to the defense bench (some chose to ignore him), and Dumbledore responded to them.Zoe can judge that these people's positions are probably neutral.

Chapter 16 The Trial Starts (Part 2)

Fudge returned to where he was supposed to be. Surrounded by a group of red robes, he did not wear the uniform of Wiesengamo, but he was still qualified to sit there. He was wearing his signature bowler hat with a serious look. .On his right hand sits Umbridge, and on his left sits a witch with a wide body and a square chin, with short gray hair and monocles, and looks very capable.

According to Zoe's knowledge of the Ministry of Magic, that person is probably the current director of the Magic Law Enforcement Division, because Barty Crouch was in this position before.Only after Fudge was elected, she no longer needed to deal with these people frequently.

"Recorder, prepare to record." Fudge's voice echoed in the stone room. Because of the decoration materials and indoor environment, his voice was clear even without speaking loudly."Yes, sir." A familiar voice sounded, and Zoe had an impression of the arrogance in it, but it was vague.But she saw the red hair of the person speaking, and even though she didn't know the identity of the person, she belonged to the same family.

"At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of August 11, the trial of Zoe Siegel, a member of the Siegel family, began on multiple charges, including suspected of assaulting a former Ministry of Magic official, assisting the Death Eaters in causing an accident in the Hegemony match and running a dark magic ceremony, Use of unforgivable curses and other crimes against people, and reassess their degree of danger." Fudge stood up and said loudly.The red-haired recorder called before started to move quickly.

"Interrogator: Minister of Magic Connelly Oswald Fudge; Director of Magic Law Enforcement Division Amelia Susan Bones; Senior Deputy Minister Dolores Jan Umbridge . Trial Recorder Percy Ignatius Weasley—"

Amelia Burns must be the one sitting on Fudge's left hand, and Zoe noticed that she moved unconsciously when Fudge called her name."The defendant's defender: Albus Percival Woolfrick Brian Dumbledore."

Dumbledore sat in the soft armchair he had prepared, and his posture seemed very relaxed. Zoe understood that the more relaxed Dumbledore now, the greater the pressure on his opponent, because it would make Fudge think about it, he didn't think it. He has the strength to fight Dumbledore.Umbridge plunged her short body into the chair, half of her face hidden in the shadow, like a snake observing its prey.Amelia greeted Dumbledore friendly.By their side, the members of Wiesengamao whispered.

"Well, now that everyone who should be there is here, we can officially start." Fudge said, "I will state the allegations first." He picked up a roll of parchment from the table and opened it up loudly. Read it out.

"The defendant is accused of committing the following crimes: First, the defendant secretly used profit, coercion-or other methods such as his unique identity advantage, to lure Death Eater member Barty Crouch Jr. (the judge We don’t consciously make a loud noise)-Silence!" Fudge raised his head, "The Death Eater had been secretly taken out of Aziz because of the personal emotions of his father, Batty Crouch, and exchanged his identity with his mother. Caban has been under house arrest by his father since then, and we have evidence that Barty Crouch used a variety of methods including the Unforgivable Curse to imprison him for a long time, and to the insider Pertha Jorkins Casting the Forgotten Curse-The method by which the defendant colluded with Barty Crouch Jr. is still unknown, but he later persuaded Barty Jr. to work for her, and used the information he predicted in the Triwizard Tournament to control the then Ministry of Magic official Kenzo Barty Crouch, one of the referees of the strong competition, conspired to murder Harry Potter and perform dark magic rituals in order to spread panic and cause social chaos."

Amelia was the most surprised of the three. She removed the lens several times, wiped the lens involuntarily with her cuff, and then put it on again."Second, when Barty Crouch began to resist the Imperius Curse and escaped imprisonment and tried to call for help from the current Hogwarts principal Albus Dumbledore, the defendant contacted Barty Crouch, and the defendant later cited The Bulgarian Quidditch player Victor Krum, who was with her, spent more than twenty minutes with the mentally insufficiency but still sane Barty Crouch, and attacked him, making him unhappy. Do not leave and enter the Saint Mungo Hospital for Magical Injuries for long-term treatment."

Those hostile sights peeked over Zoe, and Zoe tried to keep himself calm, not to be confused, and not to be suspicious, otherwise even innocent, it would make people think more.

"Thirdly, after the Ministry of Magic arrested the defendant Zoe Siegel on the above suspicion, it temporarily confiscated the defendant’s wand in accordance with the terms and used flashback spells and other methods to trace back the spells used by the wand, with the assistance of relevant experts. Next, the Ministry of Magic discovered that the wand had used the Unforgivable Curse several times! Several times!” Fudge shouted, “Although it cannot be traced back to the specific time when the spell was used, a wizard who has used the Unforgivable Curse has already provoked People are suspected, let alone used it several times. The Ministry has reason to suspect that she learned these spells from evil books, and it has reason to suspect that she is using these vicious spells on certain people."

"How can an innocent white man have such a situation? Only dangerous people can cause so much trouble!" Fudge looked at Zoe coldly, "Now, start interrogation and questioning."

Dumbledore raised his hand: "Before we start, I need to remind the judges of some things." He calmly got up from the armchair."As for the defendant to learn how to use the Unforgivable Curse after reading certain undisclosed evil books, it is purely imaginary." The atmosphere on the seat was instantly solidified because of his decisive voice.

"What is fiction? Is there any content in our official textbook that teaches people to torture and kill others?"

Dumbledore did not comment on Fudge's mockery: "What needs to be stated is that none of us expected the true identity of Alastor Moody in last year's Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom ("It's hard to tell." Fudge muttered. )-At that time he came to my office and convinced me to allow him to let students over the fourth grade understand what is meant by the unforgivable curse-in order to prevent them from standing stupidly in the face of danger, in order to make them better The earth is protecting itself when harm comes." Dumbledore said.