bestfiction Chapter 121 Arrival at the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 121 Arrival at the Ministry of Magic
On the day of the final trial, Gloria and Draco dressed low-key and walked directly from Malfoy Manor to the Ministry of Magic through the fireplace.
The hall of the Ministry of Magic is wide and magnificent, with shiny dark wooden floors, a peacock blue ceiling inlaid with glittering golden symbols, many gilded fireplaces on the walls on both sides, and a fountain in the middle of the hall with statues of wizards, witches, centaurs, goblins and house-elves. The class structure is obvious at a glance.
"Gloria!"
Turning back, he saw Hermione, with Harry, Ron, and two adults, Mr. Weasley and Professor Lupin.
"What a coincidence." Harry said and looked around excitedly.
Ron could no longer close his mouth, and soon his eyes were attracted by the money in the fountain. Draco sneered disdainfully when he saw this.
There is an inconspicuous wooden board next to the fountain, on which it is written: All proceeds from the Magical Brotherhood Fountain will be donated to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Although he had a bad quarrel with Arthur Weasley, Lucius still held his head high and said with his usual arrogant tone: "Since we have met, let's go together."
Professor Lupin stepped forward and said, "Let's go."
Hermione ignored Draco's aura that strongly repelled them and walked to Gloria. "Principal Dumbledore had something urgent to do, so Mr. Weasley came to the school to pick us up." She leaned close to her ear and said, "Mr. Weasley is very curious about the Muggle world. After arriving in London through the fireplace, we took the subway together. He is interested in everything."
"Really? That does sound interesting. We can go straight through the fireplace."
"Can it go directly?" Hermione wondered.
"Of course." Draco glanced down at Gloria from the other side of her, "But not ordinary wizards can apply for direct access."
After saying that, he glanced at Mr. Weasley and Ron.
The Ministry of Magic has security checks for unfamiliar guests, with something as thin and long as a car antenna scanning their entire body.
The wizard who was doing the security check looked quite young. He checked with a stern face. But when he saw the noble and proud Lucius, he immediately put on a smile and said, "Mr. Malfoy, Ministry of Magic personnel do not need security checks."
"I'm sending Miss Slytherin and my son. They have to attend a hearing in the trial of Sirius Black today."
"Ms. Slytherin..." The young wizard saw Gloria, "Really? Then I'll finish the examination as soon as possible."
Harry and the others stared at the wizard with disdain, his two-faced look made them want to vomit.
Arthur and Lupin were obviously used to such differential treatment and waited calmly for the next inspection.
Several people placed their wands on the strange single-pan scale. The machine vibrated and spit out a piece of paper from the bottom. It was the information of the wand. All was fine and they passed smoothly.
There are more than twenty elevators here. After they went in, other employees squeezed in. Gloria noticed that every employee had a blank expression and was waiting quietly.
"Lucius, send them to the Tenth Courtroom?" asked a brown-haired wizard at the end of the elevator.
"Yes." Lucius spoke in a skilled tone, and he must be very familiar with this person. "I will only take them to the door. Gloria, Draco, this is Hayden Strong, the captain of the Magical Law Enforcement Team."
The two greeted the serious-looking wizard.
"Ninth floor, Department of Mysteries." A cold female voice announced from the elevator.
Hayden and Lucius nodded, and they went out first.
This floor looked particularly gloomy and cold, like two completely different worlds from the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, with dark walls everywhere.
"In front is the Tenth Courtroom, where many Death Eaters were tried more than ten years ago." Arthur looked at the door. "Mr. Malfoy should be very familiar with it."
Lucius raised the corner of his mouth in a sarcastic arc, but did not refute.
"Should we go in now or wait outside for a while?" Gloria asked.
Arthur checked the time, "You can come in now, and once you're in just sit in the witness stand with us."
Lucius put his hand on Draco's shoulder, "I'll wait for you outside."
Entering the tenth courtroom, the environment here looks very depressing. The overall structure is a stepped structure, with seats from high to low. At the bottom is where the defendant sits, with a chair with chains.
It looked more like a dungeon than a courtroom.
There were already some people seated here, and when they saw them appear, their eyes were all cast on them.
Arthur and Lupin took them to the area closest to the chained chair and sat directly on the bench. The seats on all sides were higher than them, so they had to look up to see everything.
Any slight sound will be amplified by the dark walls without any decoration.
So no one spoke while they waited. Draco held Gloria's hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm from time to time.
Soon people came in and sat down. Headmaster Dumbledore came in with Minister Fudge. After talking to him, the headmaster came and sat down in the witness stand.
Fudge stood on a high seat facing the dock. There were about forty or fifty people in the audience, all wearing purple robes with an exquisite silver W embroidered on the left chest, which was the logo of the Wizengamot.
Two knocks. "…to try whether Sirius Black has violated the Wizarding Law and the International Statute of Secrecy. Since another key figure, Peter Pettigrew, is still alive, the case is being retried."
Fudge's voice was loud and clear, "Interrogator: Minister of Magic..." After reading this, he knocked on the table twice again, announcing the start of the trial.
Sirius was the first to be brought up. Two Aurors held his arms and conjured up an ordinary high stool next to the chained chair.
He looked much better than before. At least his long and messy hair had been trimmed, he was wearing clean clothes, and his face looked calm.
"Are you Sirius Black?" Fudge asked as usual.
"Yes."
"On the morning of October 1981, 10, you pursued Peter Pettigrew through a Muggle-populated street?"
"Yes."
"Was it you who used the spell that blew up the street?"
"No, that was Peter Petillo faking his death. He left a severed finger and blew up the street, making me think he was dead."
"When the Aurors arrested you afterwards, did you admit your guilt for the death of the Potters?"
"Yes, I trusted the wrong person."
Fudge asked these few simple questions and nodded slightly, "Show Barty Crouch in."
Harry looked at Arthur and Lupin. Arthur looked around carefully before lowering his head and whispering, "It was Barty Crouch who sentenced Sirius to prison. He passed without a trial."
Barty Crouch had a serious face and neatly combed short gray hair. The Auror who brought him here did not hold his arm, but just followed him on both sides and sat down on the other side of the chained chair.
"Barty Crouch, Director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation?"
Both Gloria and Harry could hear the complacency in Fudge's tone.
"Yes." Batty said in a low voice.
"In the case of Sirius Black, why was he sent to Azkaban without trial?"
"The on-site investigation showed that everything was done by Sirius. After his arrest, he remained silent in response to any inquiries. The department unanimously assumed that this was a confession, so he was imprisoned without trial. Although he was not tried in court, the interrogation records at the time are still there."