Ravenclaw's Blue Gem

"Mr. Porter, unfortunately the truth is much more cruel." Umbridge made a deliberate expression of regret, but it was just a smiley face no matter how you looked at it, "But since you have questions, I It also tells you the truth, lest you accidentally cut your throat when you make friends with a dangerous person—your testimonies match each other, but it also reveals another truth: the defendant Zoe Siegel’s True identity, she is not the same victim as the two of you, but appears there as a companion of the dark wizard, she is just one of you who tried to kill you."

She liked seeing the sluggish expression on Harry’s face and giggling: “A little more careful, she is the dark wizard who hunted down Mr. Diggory, so no one would doubt her when she went back, so the scene Only you were tied there as a sacrifice, she was a spy...The testimony that the Ministry of Magic got later, including what Barty Crouch Jr. said--and he drank Veritaserum at the time, he explained everything, And the information is undoubtedly trustworthy: including he has an unidentified service target, a detailed plan, and a helper named "Max"! Of course, there is also the murder of Pertha Jorkins, this Everything needs to be held accountable by the "innocent" in front of you!"

"'Max'?" Amelia said solemnly, "that person should have passed away."

"Yes, Amelia, this has also puzzled us-how can a deceased interfere in the life of the living? Two possibilities, one is that Albus Dumbledore spilled over this matter Lie, he was the one who reported the death report to the Minister of Magic at the time; the other...that's that "Max" is not referring to the person involved, but another one related to her...for example, this one looks exactly like her, Zoe Siegel is equally suspicious!"

"Guilty!" Someone on the trial bench roared like a signal, igniting the flames of righteous indignation one after another.The Wisengama members stood up one by one, their purple-red robes joined together. Some of them stamped their feet and some punched, but they all stared at the girl in the dock. The shouts gradually overlapped and turned into a powerful force. And the torrent of majesty.Even the sleeping chains piled up on the chair where Zoe was sitting shook like a clatter in response to the sound. The chains had reached her arm on the armrest, and she planned to wait for the trial. As soon as it is over, the prey in the field will be tied up for punishment.

Fudge and Umbridge looked at each other. Fudge was relieved. It was undoubtedly a joy to solve the matter without the last resort. He turned his gaze to Dumbledore again, his eyes flashing with delight. The light.When Zoe is sent to Azkaban, Dumbledore's reputation that has been perfectly constructed will collapse and shatter. No one will listen to Dumbledore's lies, and no one will want to shelter this infamous man.

And he, Cornelius Fudge, can finally save all this from the rumors crisis and reshape the peace he has always valued.

Harry and Cedric were speechless, both of them could see the anxiety in each other's eyes and wanted to speak, but they were worried about the atmosphere that was out of control.Harry didn't know what Cedric was thinking, but when he learned that Zoe was actually one of the two cloaked men, he actually hesitated for a moment.

So many confused thoughts flooded into his mind, but the atmosphere on the scene did not allow him to calm down and think and straighten out.Harry looked at Zoe, wishing she could stand up, tell the people that their guess was wrong, and tell them her innocence.But Zoe just closed his eyes, and although he didn't seem to give up, he didn't argue.

"I have a word." Just when Umbridge's mouth was about to outline the arc that most pleasing her, a bell-like sound suddenly sounded in the closed courtroom, and several people suddenly opened their mouths and covered their ears, shouting. The sound seemed to be pinched on the neck, and then stopped and disappeared in an instant.

Dumbledore smiled and looked at everyone. He put his wand back into his pocket, and his long fingers crossed his chin, as if the person who had just used the PA spell was not him.

"What are you doing, Dumbledore!" Facing Fudge's roar, he looked relaxed."It's just that you all seem very excited. People in this situation can't listen to others, Connelly. Ms. Bones is right. We still have some doubts that have not been cleared. We can't just be so rash. If you start voting, it will only miss the truth."

"What else can you struggle with?" Fudge sneered. "The facts are already clear. The defendant concealed his identity and left Hogwarts, concealed his identity with a cloak, and then she began to assist her accomplice in preparing for the dark magic ceremony. , After these two people are transferred by their door keys, she still wants to kill the other who was accidentally involved!"

"The evidence is solid, Dumbledore! Even you can't deny that she was there at the time!" Fudge pointed to Zoe.

"Indeed." Dumbledore nodded. "I don't intend to deny this."

"Then you want to tell me that she is not the one who is chasing Cedric Diggory? Those unforgivable spells that are repeatedly used are only pronounced for playing games or doing homework?" Fudge was aggressive, and also to express mockery. Squeeze a cold snort from his nose.

"No. What you said is absolutely correct, there is nothing unclear." Dumbledore said frankly, "I fully agree with the judgement of this lady (he smiled and looked at Umbridge) just now—chase Cedric’s person is undoubtedly the defendant, and the Avadaso’s Mantra was also launched from her wand in this way. Even what you said she was not kidnapped, but she left Hogwar. Here, assisting in the arrangement of black magic rituals, etc., I do not deny that these are facts.

"Then what else do you have to say?" Fudge sneered. "Next, are you going to tell me that these crimes were all committed by her unconsciously? It was all because she had a dream and yawned. Out of control?"

"I'm glad we can think of one thing, Connelly." Dumbledore calmly looked at Fudge, who was gradually opening his eyes. "What I want to say is that she is the one who does these things, but not her. Your inference is completely correct, but you did find the wrong culprit... Although the defendant did these things, he was still the victim."

Fudge trembled with anger: "You want to say that we wronged her? In order to save her and keep your reputation, you would rather lie than admit the facts? You want to tell everyone present that this girl is because of the Imperius Curse. Will he be forced to stand trial here?" He said absurdity several times in a volume that only the two people around him could hear.

"That's the truth." No matter when Dumbledore got up and sat down again, whispering to Fudge, he still looked at Fudge. "Otherwise we won't be able to explain something, and that's exactly what The sense of disharmony that Ms. Burns perceives... Am I right, Ms. Burns?"

Amelia nodded: "Indeed, there are things I don't understand, Connelly. We should continue to ask questions. It would seem too rash to make a conclusion like this."

"This is the attitude that a true official who pursues legal justice should hold." Dumbledore said, "Just as Ms. Umbridge sensed the fact that Cedric wanted to conceal—the boy just wanted It’s just to protect our classmates. I hope we can start from discovering the first clues to the truth, and once again ask Cedric what happened before, so that we can find the truth of the sense of violation and find the thick leaves. The rabbit hole buried under the buildup."

Chapter 21 Unexpected Witness (Part 1)

"It's a complete waste of time." Fudge muttered and sat down."Cedric, Harry, I'll take the testimony you said before. Ask for some details. Don't be nervous, just answer slowly." Dumbledore looked at the two boys gently, "You don't need to hide anything. Don’t think that talking about them will cause bad consequences, okay?"

The two boys nodded.

"Cedric, now I ask you: Is the dark wizard who chased you really the defendant Zoe Siegel?"

"Yes... Although I didn't recognize it at all at first, because she was wearing a cloak and a hood, and she couldn't see her face." Cedric said."How did you recognize her afterwards? Since she hid her identity at the time, that means she didn't want you to notice it." Dumbledore said, "Because you neglected to describe the details of the incident before, I can ask you Would you like to elaborate on this incident again?"

"Okay, Professor Dumbledore." When facing Dumbledore, Cedric was much calmer, as if only answering a common question in class, "I was blocked by the dark wizard at the time. In an abandoned church, but I did not intend to give up. Even though I don't have a magic wand in my hand, I still have a dagger. I can still think of a plan to disrupt her, attack her, and maybe even take her magic wand to fight back. "

"But the dark wizard was even better. She found the key point of my counterattack and tried to destroy it. Once she succeeded, I might really have to die in that place... but she failed to recite the spell. "There was a tumult in the trial bench.

"Why didn't she read it? Was the spell wrong, or was the dark wizard distracted?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because..." Cedric paused and glanced at Zoe. "Her spells were out of control and they bounced her off."

"Do you think this is making up a story, Mr. Diggory! You are responsible for what you say!" Fudge exclaimed."I'm sure, Mr. Minister. No matter you or someone else asks me this question, no matter how many times I ask it, I can just say it - yes, she used a spell herself, but that spell didn't work as expected. , On the contrary, she shot herself flying." Cedric said firmly.

"Where is the dark wizard? Did she faint?" Amelia looked very interested and asked.

"No. She... called my name and asked me to catch her wand-Merlin was on it, and then she really threw the wand over and fell into my hand. She asked me to beat her Halo, saying that we can all be safe."

"Cedric, do you remember exactly what she said at the time?" Dumbledore said. "Did she say anything that confuses you, such as being controlled by something?"

"You are inducing—" Cedric clapped his hands before Fudge was finished."Yes! She did say such things, such as'getting out of control' and'uniform that guy', of course she said it!"

The situation turned a corner, and it was back to the original point, in Dumbledore's favor."Mr. Diggory, everything you say is true?" Amelia asked seriously, looking straight into Cedric's eyes. There was nowhere to hide any lies.

"I swear." Cedric nodded.Dumbledore looked at the trial bench.

"Everyone, in this way, the reality of the sense of disharmony perceived by those keen people before will be exposed before our eyes-a cruel, ruthless dark wizard why, if she really wants to kill Diggory Sir, why do you want to abandon your own favorable situation, why do you want to give up victory? And still in the case of self-disclosure."

He asked Cedric again: "You didn't know who she was after she revealed her identity, right?"

"Yes, Professor. She hid her face before." Cedric said, "I can only roughly judge gender by voice."

"The dark wizard's mood is volatile!" Fudge shouted, "The defendant just wanted to tease the witness, give him little hope, and then destroy that expectation!"

"With all due respect, Connelly, the importance of magic wands to wizards is beyond doubt. Dark wizards are not just capricious. They usually have an abnormally distorted desire for control and an extreme thirst for power. The act of actively releasing the wand is fundamental. It can't happen, it's like giving their lives to their opponents..." Dumbledore said loudly, "What I can see from the witness's remarks is that the accused defendant is actively resisting the Imperius. Curse, and she succeeded in the end—the result of her resistance was that Cedric Diggory, and perhaps even Harry Potter, was able to stand here to talk to us all, We bring some confidential information that is not yet known to everyone!"

Dumbledore's words are very powerful and have been recognized by many people.The atmosphere really softened for the first time, and Zoe could even feel that a few people cast their malicious eyes on him, with curiosity.

"You are a sophistry, Dumbledore." Fudge said, "I doubt her purpose in coming back to us, is it not just to continue lurking around other people, so that she can continue to be a spy and continue to obtain information. So she can continue to plan the next attack."

"I think the possibility of this is very slim." Dumbledore smiled. "A'spy' who has actively exposed her identity, knowing that everyone will be extremely wary of her, but will take the initiative to come back to us? We didn't have it before. Anyone who knows the defendant’s so-called spy identity-as long as she kills the two boys who may become insiders according to the plan, the truth will continue to be buried in the shadows, and no one of us will know it. She can also find an excuse. Back at Hogwarts, no one would doubt her. There are countless excuses and slots that she can make up, so why would she use the stupidest and most risky one?"

"Isn't this the wishful thinking she made? Just because there are people in this world who believe that she is the person who has been cast the'Imperial Curse', she can just return to us-do you have any evidence that she does Was cast an Imperius?" Fudge said hoarse.

"As long as you compare the attitudes of the defendant before and after, any reasonable person has to have deep doubts—Harry, I ask you, do you think that when the defendant and Cedric come to save you, you will Is there a noticeable difference in attitude? Does she have traces of lying?"

"She did her best." Harry said frankly, "I saw her even being stunned... by the dark wizard in a cruel way to pass out. I don't think it was acting."

"Mrs. Pomfrey of Hogwarts-if you need her to testify, she will tell you about the injury to the defendant at the time. I think that can also prove her innocence from the side." Dumbledore looked at Fudge, "Connelly, what you need to recognize is that just because there are people in this world who are eager to'defend the peace', it is impossible for her to be a sensitive person to come back justifiably, as long as she is infected with suspicion. , There will be hunters with keen sense of smell following her."

"But she personally used the unforgivable curse on innocent students!" After Fudge was ridiculed, his face turned purple with anger.

"It was not from her own will... Connelly, when the storm passed, we kindly and tolerated many people because they were only manipulated by terror and had to become dark wizards. The puppet... Since we can be open to those people, willing to listen to their testimony, and trust their speech, why can't we give her the forgiveness and understanding that should belong to the defendant?" Dumbledore One sentence authentic.

"If the terms of the law are changed one day, the crimes caused by the use of the unforgivable curse against others by the person controlled by the Imperius Curse will also belong to him, and then the precious things that we fear will be gone forever. . But now it is still a familiar clause, which is worthy of joy." His tone became lighter again, "Finally, I need to tell you that if you are going to break the rules for the defendant, then in her Those who have been forgiven before will also receive their matching punishment, which need not be repeated."

"Connelly, don't let you, the dignity of the Ministry of Magic, become more unbearable."

"You, you--!" The piece of clothing held by Fudge's hand has been crumpled. He gritted his teeth, but he could not refute Dumbledore's sharp words, but if he could not If they catch Zoe on the issue, they will be even less conducive to defeating Dumbledore.

Umbridge winked at him and motioned him to stop struggling with this matter.They don't have much reason for this issue, and the judges more often agree with Dumbledore's remarks. From their whispers, it can be known that at least it is not good for them to initiate a vote now.

But it is precisely because of this that they will take second place. Even if they cannot achieve the most important goal, they can still limit this beast. In the eyes of some people, Zoe is no different from a monster that has not fully grown up yet. —And restrain their greatest enemy, Albus Dumbledore.

"Sorry, you guys, please put aside this crime in advance. Next, we will move on to the second issue. After both issues can be concluded, we can start voting."

Chapter 22 Unexpected Witness (Part 2)