Quirrell's trial was scheduled two days before the new year and both children were expected to be there as witnesses and as interested parties. They arrived early, wearing muggle clothes but carrying their official robes in their backpacks. They put them on as soon as they reached the Ministry, immediately gaining respect and, unavoidably, some gossip.
There were fewer Wizengamot members present than expected. Harry smirked internally and whispered to Hermione, "It looks like the DMLE is making very good use of that loan."
She took a look around them and nodded. Although they didn't know any of the members, they could see the nameplates. Most of the empty seats were of known Death Eaters or avid supporters.
Harry was appalled at seeing Quirrell. In the few weeks since his arrest, the man seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight and a large part of his hair. Harry wondered if that was due to the possession or the treatment he got. He hoped it was the former. Even criminals, so he felt, should not be abused even when found guilty, and certainly not before their trial.
It then went smoothly, just as expected. Madam Bones presented the transcripts of the interrogations under Veritaserum. Nobody seemed inclined to repeat them in the courtroom, not even Quirrell. Dumbledore, who presided over the court meeting, read the relevant parts of the law for all to hear. He then turned to Harry. "As you've just heard, the offended party may decide not to require the full punishment stated in the law. You may excuse him completely, if you like, or put him in jail for life or for a predefined time, whatever you decide. I plead to you to show mercy, just as your predecessors used to act."
Harry pretended to consider his words before speaking. "I'd really like to show some mercy, but only to those who deserve it. How much mercy should one show to a person who planned the cold-blooded murder of an innocent child? That seems to be true of both Quirrell and his 'passenger'. Both wanted to kill me without even knowing me for reasons that I don't know but have nothing to do with my deeds or my opinions. I therefore find it impossible to exercise any mercy when they are concerned. I leave it to the court to decide on the preferred way to terminate them."
Dumbledore grimaced. He didn't like the answer but couldn't fault it either. It was not the machinations of a child. It was a well-reasoned answer from a thinking adult. He only sighed. "Very well. I'll let the court decide."
He then turned to the whole assembly. "There are two options for your consideration. One is a dementor kiss, which will leave the body soulless. Such bodies die within a few days, normally. The other option is the veil. The person passing the veil is moved immediately to death's realm, leaving nothing behind. Those in favour of the dementor kiss, please raise your lit wands."
He waited for the court's clerk to count the wands before speaking again. "Now, it is assumed that the rest are in favour of using the veil." He turned to the clerk. "Do we have a decision?"
The young wizard who held that position answered, "Yes. Less than a third of the votes wanted to see the accused get a dementor kiss. This means that the accused will be executed by the veil."
Dumbledore tried to look at Harry again, pleading with his eyes, but Harry made a show of rearranging the documents in front of him, ignoring the old man. After a moment, Dumbledore gave up. "Very well. Aurors, please take the accused to the veil room. I'll supervise the procedure myself, along with the Head of the DMLE and the offended party, if he wants to."
"He may try to persuade you to the last moment," Hermione whispered in his ear.
"I know. I used some Legilimency to read his thoughts. We should just go home, I believe," Harry answered, keeping his voice just as low.
This didn't matter, eventually. As soon as they left the courtroom, they were surrounded by journalists, all wanting to ask some questions. Harry cringed internally. He noticed the displeased and worried expression on Hermione's face too.
He then cast a silent 'sonorus' on himself and talked to the assembled group of media hounds. "Thank you for your interest in this trial. As you know, former Professor Quirrell was possessed, and still is, by the soul of the dark lord who called himself Voldemort." He paused for the inevitable protest about using that name and then continued. "That dark lord tried to kill me when I was merely a toddler. I escaped, probably due to some magic my parents used to protect me. Now, the possessed professor tried to kill me by making me fall from a high-flying broom. This time, I was saved thanks to another loving woman – my dear friend, Miss Hermione Granger, who noticed his odd behaviour and tried to stop him, allowing me to regain control of my broom. Since both showed no trace of mercy to me or to anybody else, I didn't think they deserved any. I'm now glad to leave this sorry incident behind me and move forward with my life. Thank you very much."
"A question, if you don't mind," several journalists shouted.
Harry lifted his hand for silence. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I feel like this is not the right time or place for talking about what has no immediate connection to the trial. I'll be glad to have a press conference soon if you like. Please send your requests to my account manager at Gringotts, since I'm now residing among muggles and too many owls will surely attract some unwelcome attention. Thank you again."
Some still tried to ask questions, but the children walked swiftly to the lift, that Neville, of all people, was keeping open for them. A moment later, the elevator doors closed behind them, taking them away from the media hounds.
"Oof! I felt like they would not stop unless they bit me," Harry said. He then turned to his friend. "Thank you, Neville, for helping us out. I didn't even know you were present."
Neville blushed. "My Gran is a member and she wants me to come with her whenever possible since it will be my role after I reach adulthood. You should also have someone to take your position there, although you can sit there yourself. I think you'd rather finish Hogwarts, first."
Harry nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. I may need to talk to your grandmother about that, though."
Neville smiled. "Gran would like to meet you. She always thought we should grow together, but Dumbledore intervened. Now she's even more eager to meet you since you helped me with my wand."
Harry shrugged. "That was nothing."
He then turned to Hermione. "I think we should tell Sharpclaw about the expected letters. I should have asked him ahead, I think, but it came to me at the spur of a moment."
Hermione agreed. "I suggest we first go there, then."
She turned to Neville. "It looks like we need to first go to Gringotts. Do you want to come along? We may talk on our way there."
Neville gave it a short consideration. "You may use the Floo from the atrium to reach the Leakey Cauldron. Wait for me there, as I need to tell Gran first."
They parted when the elevator doors opened at the entrance level. Harry and Hermione walked quickly to the Floo and vanished. Neville stayed in the elevator, going back to the courtroom level.
–..–
Neville joined them within only a few minutes. They couldn't talk much, though. The cold weather made them hurry to the bank if only to get out of the wind.
"I'll wait for you here," Neville said when they were already in the teller hall. Harry nodded.
Sharpclaw didn't seem content with the new task he was pushed into but didn't really protest. "Since this service is not covered by the normal account manager contract, you'll have to pay a small fee for it. SixKnuts per letter seems about right, I believe. You won't feel it at all and I will buy a few small presents for my grandchildren."
Harry chuckled. "Take ten. You need to spoil your grandchildren a bit more. Let me know in a few days and then I can call for a press conference. I first need to learn how to tackle one, though."
"Do you have anybody to teach you?" Sharpclaw asked.
Harry was unsure of the answer. "I'm going to meet Dowager Longbottom. She may be able to help me, or at least direct me to someone who can."
Sharpclaw nodded. "Yes, that lady can be quite formidable when she puts her mind to it. Are you close to her?"
"Not yet. I'm a good friend of her grandson, Neville, though, and he's eager to introduce us."
"Then, I shouldn't hold you any longer. I'll handle this for you, but please refrain from acting similarly in the future, or I will have to raise the price sharply."
"Of course, Account Manager Sharpclaw. That is fully understandable," Harry said before both children took their leave.
–..–
Neville was glad to escort them to his home. His grandmother was already there, as expected. He first handled the introductions.
"Grandmother, I'm glad to present my friends, Lord Harry James Potter and Lady Ravenclaw, Hermione Jean Granger. As you already know, they have some more titles." He turned to the couple. "Hermione, Harry, this is my grandmother, Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom. She's been acting as the head of House Longbottom since my parents were disabled."
Harry was surprised at hearing that. Neville had not told him much about his parents. He still acted as expected.
Both Harry and Hermione bowed slightly, the way they'd learned in the etiquette books. They felt slightly surprised when the old lady bowed back, just as deeply. On second thought, they understood it.
"Welcome, Lord Potter and Lady Ravenclaw. It's an honour and a pleasure to have you here. Now, since we should have been quite close since your childhood, I believe you may call me Aggie or Gran – whichever you prefer."
Harry felt obliged to answer in the same way. "We're honoured and delighted to visit here finally. It would be right if you called me Harry and my friend Hermione. She allows nobody to shorten her name," he finished with a grin.
"Well, Harry, you were very impressive in the Wizengamot. This may prove quite beneficial in the long run. Now, if you don't mind, please come closer and let me see you better."
The way she looked him over reminded Harry of how Jean checked them when they came back from Hogwarts as if looking for any change or problem. Well, he probably changed quite a bit since she last saw him that close, probably when he was a baby. Her words only confirmed it.
"My, my… You've changed so much since… Well, you were merely a baby then and now you're a lord. Just the way I remembered. Your father's unmanageable hair and your mother's green eyes. And youfound your life partner even earlier than all the Potters I ever met…" She then took a closer look at his forehead. "How did you hide your scar?"
Harry refrained from shrugging, as was his habit. He felt that the old lady would not appreciate a shrug and even reprimand him for one. "I had the goblins treat it, along with many other problems their healers found."
She looked alarmed. "What kind of problems?"
"They said I suffered from malnutrition for too many years. I also had some damage from falling or from being beaten by other children. Then, I also had some binds on my mind and my magic and some monitoring, tracking and tracing charms. The scar was also found to host a very dark entity. They removed all that needed to be removed and healed me. I even see much better now."
"Did they tell you who cast all these spells on you?" she insisted.
"Yes. Most were cast by Dumbledore, shortly after I was orphaned. I also had a childhood bind, cast by my parents. It would have faded away, had I not been subjected to the other binds. Then, I got the scar from Voldemort, the night he killed my parents."
She shuddered slightly at the name but didn't say anything about it. She had a lot to say of the rest. "No wonder Dumbledore didn't let you visit here. I would have noticed at least some of these. They were all illegal to cast on you, you should know, especially since you were Heir Potter, the last scion of the family. Of course, legality was never important to that old fool. He considers himself above everything, including laws, common sense and even decency. How can anybody see him as a token of 'light' I don't know."
"He also bound my mind, probably soon after we reached Hogwarts," Hermione added.
This left the old lady speechless.