Chapter 445 The trial begins

Chapter 445 The trial begins

Next to the three interrogators sat a young wizard, Percy Weasley. The young trial recorder was sitting at the very edge of the bench, with the quill in his hand hovering over the parchment, as if ready to record every next sentence.

His face had lost its former immaturity and nervousness, replaced by a cold, mechanical look. His expression was extremely indifferent, his lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes were calm without any emotional fluctuations.

Sherin glanced at him, his lips slightly raised. Percy Weasley, the prefect who once pursued perfect discipline at Hogwarts, has now become a rising star in the Ministry of Magic. Under his own control, his ambition has far exceeded that of himself in the original book. For the authority of the Ministry of Magic and his own career, he is willing to sacrifice his father, break up with his family completely, and give up the last bit of family affection in his heart.

His eyes occasionally passed over Fudge, but there was no hint of flattery or fawning, but more of a cold calmness and a desire for power. Fudge, after all, was just a stepping stone for his ambitions.

Schelling, who possessed the divine power of Amaterasu, saw all the changes in his temperament and smiled coldly with satisfaction in his heart. Percy's uncontrollable ambition would make him continue to sink and become a sharp blade in Schelling's hands.

Sitting behind them, on the second row of benches, as far as Sherin knew, were basically all Fudge and Umbridge's cronies. Umbridge had concentrated them around Fudge so that she could strengthen his momentum at the right time.

Xie Ling narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze on a short and fat male wizard with a big black beard and a female wizard with curly hair, and his mind flashed through their names and information.

The wizard's name is Rufus Fudge, the nephew of Minister Fudge, one of his most trusted right-hand men, and also the Director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He is sloppy, careless, and a gambler. He is a guy who is more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything.

The reason this man could sit in the Wizengamot was entirely because of Cornelius Fudge's promotion, not because of his own ability. Although he was the head of a department in the Ministry of Magic, his ability was very mediocre, he had almost no ability to think independently, and he would only nod and bow to his uncle's wishes.

Needless to say, in today's trial, he will definitely stand on Fudge's side unconditionally, because he has no position at all, only Fudge's position.

The curly-haired witch was named Josephina Flint, about fifty years old, with broad shoulders and thick back, and big hands. When she sat on the seat, it seemed as if the chair was a little overwhelmed. Her hair was tightly coiled, gray and white, and her expression was rigid and serious, giving people a feeling of being difficult to approach.

Sherin knew her background very well. Although the Flint family was an ancient pure-blood family, they had never really entered the upper circles of the British wizarding world. Instead, they had repeatedly become the butt of jokes because of the stupidity and dullness of their family members.

For generations, the people of this family were known for their strong physique and slow reactions. There were even rumors that they had troll blood flowing in their bodies, which resulted in them having very poor talent in spellcasting. The only thing they were good at was relying on brute force.

Josefina undoubtedly inherited these characteristics of her family. Her magic talent was mediocre, her way of doing things was extremely clumsy, and her political wisdom was not profound. However, she was incredibly conceited and always tried to make achievements in politics, trying to get the Flint family out of the reputation of "stupidity" and join the real wizard aristocracy. Unfortunately, she lacked long-term vision and always focused on the immediate interests. In order to gain a foothold in the Ministry of Magic, she supported Fudge almost unreservedly, flattered him, and spared no effort to promote Fudge.

Schelling laughed inwardly. Josefina thought she was on the right side and could gain political capital from Fudge, but she didn't realize that Fudge was a broken ship that could sink at any time.

Schelling secretly estimated in his heart that although Fudge had been in power for many years, he had very few confidants. If he didn't count himself, there were probably only seven or eight people.

As time went by, more and more people entered the courtroom. At a glance, almost everyone was present - 51 people in total, not including myself, and one of them was Percy, the recorder who had no voting rights. Even Mr. Selwyn, who was still working for me in France, came back specially.

Schelling had received his notice in advance and knew that his mission in France had made some progress, but it was not yet completed. As soon as the trial was over, he would have to Apparate and rush to France.

Schelling's eyes quickly swept across the representatives' seats, and several familiar Wizengamot members nodded slightly.

Yaxley was sitting with a wizard with long black hair and a beard, and the two were whispering intimately. Sherin knew that was Yaxley's new ally, Pius Thicknesse. Compared to the majesty and dominance that Yaxley exuded, Pius's pointed chin and slightly silver goatee made him look quite shrewd and sophisticated, a bit like an ancient master in an oriental country, always hiding a calculating look in his eyes.

Scrimgeour was still as imposing as ever, leaning back on his chair with his arms folded, his eyes scanning the surroundings like an eagle, and when he saw Schelling he simply nodded slightly as a greeting. Sitting next to him was Tiberius McLaggen, a good friend who often went hunting together, but the atmosphere was serious at the moment, and the two did not talk much, instead observing the surroundings in silence.

Gareth Greengrass was sitting on the other side, chatting enthusiastically with Mr. Tiberius Ogden, the owner of Ogden Winery. The two had many business dealings, and they were probably engaging in business social greetings. After seeing Schelling, he did not avoid him like other allies, but gave Schelling a gentle smile.

After all, it was no secret that Sherin and the Greengrass sisters were on good terms, and Mr. Greengrass had already made full preparations for his own and his family's personal safety, so he was one of the few allies who could openly reveal his close relationship with Sherin.

Not far from him sat Barty Crouch, who had just been reinstated. Although he was no longer as sharp as before, he was still a force in the Wizengamot as the director of the International Cooperation Department and the head of the Crouch family. He glanced at Sherin, but his face showed no expression.

Mr. Troven Selwyn's skin seemed to be a little darkened by the French sun. He sat with Alvin Carrow, the head of the Carrow family, and chatted with each other. Both of them were pure-blooded heads with powerful backgrounds. Although they were not as fierce and domineering as Yaxley, the viciousness and scheming that they inadvertently revealed in their eyes still made people around them feel faintly afraid. Horace Slughorn was also present. He had a round figure. When he sat in the trial seat, his wide purple robe seemed to cover half of the chair. As a person of the same era as Dumbledore, although he had a head full of white hair, he did not look old at all. His face was very ruddy, as if he was looking forward to the next trial. When he saw Sherin, he showed Sherin a kind smile, as if he wished that Sherin could sit next to him.

Mr. Albert Runcorn had not been in the Wizengamot for too long, but his position and power in the Ministry of Magic had risen rapidly recently, which had attracted a number of people who wanted to curry his favor and were talking to him enthusiastically. Runcorn seemed to enjoy the feeling of being flattered by everyone, and his pretended indifference could not hide the smugness in his heart.

These people are all Schelling's allies. Although some of them, such as Professor Slaghorn, are not under Schelling's command, they are still greatly influenced by Schelling's attitude.

In the center of the third row of the Wizengamot representative seats, two elderly wizards sat side by side. The man on the left was thin, with a gray beard under his hooked nose and deep eye sockets, revealing a shrewd and stubborn look. He was wearing the dark purple robe of the Wizengamot, with a slightly loose collar, as if he had not changed it for a long time.

The woman on the other side was plump, with a wrinkled face, her silver hair tied into a tight bun, and her eyes were sharp, as if she was ready to point out any injustice at any time.

Schelling glanced at them and recognized them in his heart. They were Marchbank and Doge, Dumbledore's most staunch supporters. Doge's mouth twitched slightly, as if he was whispering with Marchbank, while Marchbank frowned and tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, obviously wary and dissatisfied with the trial.

In an inconspicuous corner of the Wizengamot representative seat, two wizards sat there quietly, keeping a subtle distance from each other, as if they were not even interested in communicating. There was no one around them, no other wizards took the initiative to talk to them, and some even deliberately avoided their gazes.

One of them was thin and pale, with a pair of worried eyes under his deep eye sockets. Although his robes still maintained the dignity of a pure-blood family, the corners of his clothes were slightly worn and his cuffs were slightly loose, as if he had not taken good care of them recently. His fingers were tightly clasped on the armrests of the chair, and his knuckles turned white due to excessive force. Although his eyes were calm, they concealed a hint of fatigue and anxiety.

The other man was slightly older, with wrinkles all over his bald forehead, drooping mouth corners, and a helpless and haggard look. His eyes wandered, occasionally sweeping towards the center of the trial seat, but then quickly moved away, as if he didn't want to be too involved in this trial.

They were the current heads of the Furley and Slahorn families. Although they tried to remain calm, they could not hide their worries.

Xie Lin sneered in his heart. He had already known that the two families were in the midst of civil strife. This turmoil not only put their family power in jeopardy, but also made their influence within the Wizengamot much less than before. Now, they even seemed out of place sitting here, like two shadows left behind by the times.

The trial has not yet begun, but the entire Courtroom 10 is already filled with an invisible undercurrent. Everyone is waiting, waiting for Harry Potter to be brought in, waiting for the trial to officially begin.

Time passed quickly in the courtroom as everyone chatted, and the originally scheduled court opening time had already passed.

There is no doubt that Porter is late!

Potter's lateness undoubtedly left a bad impression on all members of the Wizengamot, which was probably the result that Fudge wanted to see most.

When the door of the Tenth Courtroom was opened again, today's protagonist - Harry Potter stood at the door, his slightly thin figure reflected on the dim ground.

At this moment, his face was pale, and tiny beads of sweat on his forehead sparkled under the magic light. His throat was a little dry, and his heart was beating very fast, as if his entire chest was filled with drumbeats. He swallowed and tried to control his breathing, but he still couldn't dispel the lingering tension and fear in his heart.

His steps were weak and stiff, and with every step he took, it was as if invisible eyes were falling on him like a knife. He didn't dare to look up at the high-ranking Wizengamot wizards, and could only force himself to move forward and walk towards the interrogation chair. There was a dead silence all around, with only the occasional rubbing of the corners of his robes echoing in the dull air.

He sat down carefully on the edge of the chair, the chains clanking menacingly but not binding him. Harry felt dizzy and nauseous and looked up at the people sitting on the upper bench.

"Good," Fudge said. "The defendant is finally here, let's get started. Are you ready?" he asked loudly across the bench.

"Yes, sir," Percy replied without any emotion.

"The trial of August 4th," Fudge boomed, and Percy began to take notes, "was held against Harry James Potter, of Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, for offences under the Statute for the Reasonable Restraint of Minors of Wizardry and the International Statute of Secrecy.

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary. Trial Recorder: Percy Ignatius Weasley -"

"Then I formally declare the trial to begin!"