Chapter Seventeen, Courtrooms

It was two days before Izzy's birthday and today was the day of the trials. They all had to be up early, as her Aunt and Uncle's trial started at nine and Dumbledore's was in the afternoon. Izzy was a nervous wreck, and had been lost in thought during most of her shower, and while she got changed into a white lace dress with a brown belt, nude studded shoes, her bracelet and rings, a black floral jacket and her hair in a neat ponytail with a braid running through it from the left side of her head.
"Izzy?" Bill's voice asked, as he knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Izzy replied in a wobbly voice, she was terrified as it would be her first time seeing her relatives again for the first time in a year, and only a few months since Dumbledore had pulled that stunt at Christmas. It seems Bill had heard the shake in her voice as the next moment he opened the bathroom door, Fred and Bill himself hurriedly entered the bathroom.

"Everything's going to be okay, Izzy. I promise." Fred swore, pulling her into a tight hug. "I wish I could come with you." He sighed, noting her hair had turned an odd mix of grey and purple for her fear and nerves. He had become quite good at distinguishing what each colour represented in how Izzy was feeling, plus he had the bond to help if he got confused which enabled him to help Izzy better.
"You're not coming?" She asked startled, her emerald eyes as wide as saucers.
"I'm sorry Izzy. The Wizengamot wrote to Mum and Dad this morning and said only two adults could accompany you, so Dad and I will go with you.

Mum and Charlie will stay here to look after this rowdy bunch." Bill explained, smiling when he got a small giggle from his new sister, even if it was a weak one.
"Charlie's more of a kid then Percy." Fred exclaimed dramatically, making Izzy laugh some more.
"That, unfortunately, is very true." Bill laughed. "Come on Izzy, you need to take your potions and have something to eat." He added, coaxing them out of the bathroom and downstairs to the kitchen.

***

Once Augusta and Neville had arrived, the latter now having to stay behind due to the recent letter, Izzy grasped hold of Mr Weasley's hand as the three adults Apparated into the Atrium of the Ministry. Once Izzy had gotten her bearings she would have looked around in curious wonder had she not been so stricken with nerves and anxiety.
"It's all going to be okay, Izzy. None of them will get anywhere near you, we won't allow it and neither will Madam Bones." Arthur said soothingly, as they headed to the golden lifts at the far end of the Atrium. Izzy could only nod as her throat felt too tight to speak but a small smile appeared on her lips when Mr Weasley squeezed her hand reassuringly. As they were about to enter the lift that was only a quarter full, a gossipy voice called from behind them stopping them in their tracks.

"Ahh, Miss Potter. Can..." the woman said, the group turned around to see a woman dressed in an acidic green skirt suit, red heels, permed curly blonde hair and bright lipstick to match her heels.
"I would not finish that sentence if I were you, Rita Skeeter." Augusta said sharply, a stern look on her face. "Isadora is a minor so you will not address her, and if you were ever to address her it would be Heiress Potter-Black. You will never write about her or anything involving her for that matter. If you have any questions you will instead address either myself, or Molly and Arthur Weasley. Unless, of course you wish for me to have the DMLE investigate you and all of the Daily Prophet?" She asked, an eyebrow raised and a challenging look on her face.

Rita glared at her for a moment before she put on a fake smile.
"Of course not Dowager Longbottom." She said, before she hurried away, leaving the group to hurry into the lift as it was about to leave. They rode the lifts down to the Department of Mysteries in relative silence, while ignoring everyone gawping at them. While similarly the three adults with her would offer her some comfort by whispering reassurances. Once the lift stopped in the Department of Mysteries they spotted Lucius Malfoy passing some gold to the Minister Cornelius Fudge, both of whom gave them all a haughty look.
"It specifically said in the letter only two adults could accompany her. I see three." Minister Fudge said snidely.

"Then you need to look closer and see I'm wearing my Wizengamot robes." Augusta said just as haughtily, ignoring his blustering she turned towards Izzy. "Everything is going to be okay, sweetie, I promise. You'll be in the witness box with Arthur and William, you may be called on or you may not but I'll push for the latter." Tucking a lock of hair behind Izzy's ear and smiling softly at her, she nodded to Bill and Arthur before hurrying to talk to Amelia about what she just saw. They needed a better Minister than that pompous ass, and certainly not someone who accepted money off of Death Eaters so they could stay out of prison.

Twenty minutes later, Izzy was sat between Mr Weasley and Bill while they waited for the trial to take place.
"Order!" Madam Bones called, banging her gavel a few times, effectively silencing everyone in the courtroom which was: Courtroom One. "This trial is now in session. Before you today I bring forth two trials, both of which have been against a minor and an Heiress. The first; Vernon and Petunia Dursley against Heiress Isadora Talia Potter-Black, cases of physical, mental and emotional abuse. The second; standing at numerous crimes committed by Albus Dumbledore, the worst of which are: encouraging the child abuse of the previous case and endangering a minor, ignoring the Wills of a Lord and Lady and abetting to sending an innocent man to Azkaban without trial." Madam Bones spoke gravely to the stunned courtroom. "Aurors bring in Petunia and Vernon Dursley." She ordered.

As the double oak doors opened at the back of the circular room, Izzy could hear her Uncle's loud and booming voice spewing all kinds of profanity at the Aurors and at everyone in the courtroom as they entered.
"GIRL!!!" Vernon roared, spotting Izzy in the witness box who flinched back her arms automatically going towards her head as she almost curled in on herself. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU AND YOUR FREAKISH WAYS! I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MARGE, AND KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!!!" Uproar started at this abhorrent Muggle's words. How someone could treat a child in such a way was beyond them, although a select few were smirking as if they were imagining such a thing actually happening.

"SILENCE!!!" Madam Bones shouted, her voice magnified. "Quietus!" She said, cancelling the spell. "So, I gather by your recent words you do not deny the cases of starvation, locked in a cupboard under the stairs for ten years, the constant beatings when she did magic, the mental and emotional abuse? Among others."
"I would not have one of you in my home! Tried to stamp it out of her but even that failed! She's nothing but an unlovable freak!" Vernon spat. Madam Bones's face went white with anger, her lips thinning into a grim line.
"Mrs Dursley, do you not have anything to say?" Madam Bones asked, her voice tight with fury.

"Why would I? I never wanted the ungrateful brat! And now because she's not there to tend to my garden I'll lose the Surrey Garden Championship! I've won every year since she was three! We would have done as Marge suggested, but we had our image to think of, it would not be destroyed by that freak! She's nothing but a freak just like my freak of a sister, and the world is better off without her waste of space parents and it'll be better off without her too! I should've added to it instead of just starving her and swinging pans or throwing them at her! We didn't want her, she was dumped on us when we had our precious son to look after! We are good, hard working people who deserve better than having to have a freak like her in our home!" Petunia ranted, before finally drawing breath and relaxing into the chair with a smile.

Meanwhile, in the witness stands Izzy had tears running down her face while Mr Weasley and Bill held her close offering her as much comfort as they could. While they gritted their teeth and clenched their free hand, practically vibrating with anger. Their hands itching to draw their wands and curse these two into oblivion.
"There will be no need for further questions." Madam Bones said tightly, shocking the courtroom, before an uproar could begin she continued. "As you've just admitted without questioning the amount of hated, animosity and the level of child abuse, on three accounts, you have dished out upon your niece. Not to mention the neglect and the child endangerment. For this you will both be sentenced to a Muggle prison for twenty years, each. After fifteen years of good behaviour you may be allowed a release depending on parole.

Our Muggle liaison for this case, Mr Simon and his team, will escort you both to the prison. Your sister Marge Dursley shall be investigated for child endangerment, and if found guilty shall too be sent to prison. Your son Dudley will be sent to a Foster home and will be put under behavioural correction classes. Once your time is up," She continued, magnifying her voice to speak over the Dursley's shouts. "You are not to have any contact with Miss Potter and are not to come within 300 yards of her. If you do either of this you will be sent straight back to prison. If you wish for contact with your son, it will be monitored if he is still a minor and you get out on good behaviour. Take them away." Madam Bones said, banging her gavel. Mr Simon and his team along with a handful of Aurors led the way out of the courtroom dragging the kicking and screaming Vernon and the sobbing Petunia, who was only sobbing for her son and her image.

"It's okay Izzy. It's okay." Mr Weasley said, bringing Izzy into his arms as she sobbed into his chest. She'd known her Aunt and Uncle had never loved her and had hated her to some extent, but she never knew it went so deep that they actually had talked to Marge about killing her and the only reason they didn't carry through with it was because of their image. "You're safe now. Safe and loved and nobody will ever harm you like that ever again. You have Molly and I now, and you are a daughter to us, just like Ginny is." Mr Weasley muttered and similar things like it, hoping to calm the poor girl down, thankful Bill had put up a Privacy Ward. After a while Izzy finally calmed down, and pulled back from Mr Weasley's arms wiping away her tears as her hair turned back to its normal colour. While Mr Weasley and Bill had been comforting a distraught Izzy, Albus Dumbledore had been brought in, tied to the chair and force fed Veritaserum.

"What is your full name?" Madam Bones asked the standard tester question.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Dumbledore replied in a monotone.
"Did you know Sirius Black wasn't the Potters Secret Keeper?"
"Yes."
"Did you know who it was?"
"Yes, it was Peter Pettigrew. I knew he was a traitor."
"And yet you said nothing and allowed this to happen. Why?"
"I needed Isadora Potter to grow up unloved and downtrodden, so she'd be so thankful to the Wizarding World, but mainly to me, that she would sacrifice herself to defeat Voldemort once and for all and 'rid' herself of-" Dumbledore made a choking sound as he tried to stop himself from revealing anything more but the potion would not let him.

"Go on." Madam Bones prompted. "Rid herself of what?"
"Rid herself of the Horcrux in her scar." Dumbledore revealed, inciting pandemonium within the courtroom as a number of people became suddenly sickly pale.
"You were going to have her raised like a lamb for slaughter!" Augusta shouted horrified.
"Mr William Weasley, once this is over you have full permission to use my office for the ritual to remove that abomination from your sister. The Ministry shall supply you everyone or anything you may need." Madam Bones boomed in a loud voice, over the shouts that were directed at the aged man tied to a chair.
"Thank you Madam Bones." Bill said gratefully, his voice shaking a little.

"You allowed this abomination to stay within a child? So you knew then that Voldemort isn't really gone but is reduced to a wraith? That he had possessed a teacher at Hogwarts this previous year, Quirrenus Qurriell?"
"Yes, I knew he was alive and said nothing. Because of the prophecy she needs to die to defeat Voldemort and she has too much power and will have more than me once she's of age, I can't have that. Yes, I knew Quirrell was possessed at the start of the year, it's why I tested her against the Mirror of Erised and made such easy tasks to protect the Stone. Just like I know Gilderoy Lockhart is a fake and Obliviated the real witches and wizards of his feats in his books. I need him to test them and not teach them much." Dumbledore explained, a smirk on his face.

"Aurors arrest Gilderoy Lockhart and have him brought here for a trial, we will get to the bottom of this and there will be no more injustices. Send an owl to Minerva informing her she needs a D.A.D.A Professor as well this year." She ordered, satisfied when a team left she turned back to the trial at hand.
The trial had been going on longer than anyone had planned or even expected as the deeper Madam Bones questioned the more they realised how deceitful, and manipulative the man before them was and how deep his crimes and injustices went into not only today but also into their past as well.

After four hours, now late afternoon, Madam Bones finally brought the trial to a close.
"Albus Dumbledore for nearly reducing an Heiress minor into forming an Obscurus, among your other grievances you are hereby stripped of your wands and all titles effectively immediately! Your monetary will go to all those who you have hurt with your fake greater good scheme, including your own brother for the murder of your younger sister and all those who had died, or who were seriously injured during the last war due to your inactions. Your wand will be snapped and you shall hand over the Elder Wand you won off Grindelwald where it will be locked away, and your magic bound. I hope it was all worth it, for you will spend the remainder of your days in a high security cell across from Grindelwald in Numenguard." Madam Bones said, banging her gavel. "Take him away." She ordered.

***

Several hours later Arthur, Bill and Izzy could finally leave the Ministry and head home to the Burrow. Augusta had left after the Wizengamot had disbanded once their part of the trial had completed, which was sorting out what would be going to whom and how much.
"Thank you. Thank you." Arthur said gratefully, shaking the hands of the two Unspeakables and the Goblin Healer that had helped Bill prepare Izzy for the ritual that had successfully removed the Horcrux from Izzy's scar that had now faded to a faint white. 
"You're welcome Arthur." The female Unspeakable, Suzanne Riley, said, smiling sadly at the poor girl who was being checked over by the Goblin Healer.
"Just make sure she gets lots of rest and keep an eye on her for the next twenty-four hours, she should be fine, but just as a precaution. If she's not take her straight to St Mungo's." The male, Derek Hawkings, said.

"Thank you Master Healer Glils." Izzy said, smiling tiredly as Bill helped her down from the table.
"You're welcome young one." The rough female Goblin said, although she had a smile upon her face. "I best get this abomination back to Gringotts to be destroyed, for good. We shall sweep the entirety of the bank vaults as I fear this was not the only one that was made." With that she bowed to Izzy, and nodded to the others in the room as she picked up the large bell glass containing swirling black goo and popped away with Suzanne who was returning her to Gringotts.
"How're you feeling Izzy?" Arthur asked, concerned, as they left the office heading towards the Atrium.

"Tired." Izzy muttered, walking rather sluggish, until Bill picked her up so he could carry her.
"Sorry Izzy. I didn't want you to collapse." Bill apologised, feeling her flinch against him. He frowned at how light she felt, he couldn't even pick Ginny up anymore and Izzy was a year older than her. He hoped now that she was in a loving home she would start getting better, but he knew it wouldn't happen over night, nor would she trust them over night as it would take a long time to correct ten years worth of abuse. But he knew would get there with all of their help, love and support. Ignoring the reporters that were firing questions at them, Arthur and Bill pushed their way out of the lift and to the other end of the Atrium where they quickly Disapparated.

Arriving in the garden of The Burrow, where the tables had been moved to, they were quickly supplied tea and cake, and potions for Izzy, to raise their blood sugar which helped both Izzy and Bill overcome their tiredness, even if just a little. Once Izzy had eaten and drunk her fill, including her potions, Ron, Fred, George, Neville, Luna and Ginny finally felt it was safe to pull Izzy into a tight hug.
"Where's Percy and Charlie, Mum?" Bill asked, not spotting his brothers anywhere in the garden. Augusta sat at the other end of the table talking to Xeno.
"Percy's in his room finishing his homework and Charlie got called to Romania for an emergency, but he'll be back by dinner time." Molly replied, sitting down besides her husband. "Izzy dear, do you need to have a nap?" She asked worriedly, noticing she still looked tired.

"Maybe in a little while." Izzy agreed, after a look from Fred. "But can I show Neville my room first please?"
"Of course you can, sweetie, you don't have to ask." Molly smiled at her.
"Come on Nev." Izzy said excitedly, for the first time that day. "You guys can come too if you want to." She added shyly.
"Of course we do. Lead the way." Ron cheered, making her laugh. The adults smiled as the group of kids ran off upstairs to Izzy's room laughing. After what Izzy has gone through today it was good to hear her laugh, only when they entered Izzy's bedroom they saw someone sitting on her bed.