159 Arthur the Lawyer

Arth entered Hagrid's hut and gave a nod towards Hagrid who returned a nervous nod back.

Arth gave a bright smile to the Minister and other two men before stretching out his hand.

"Good to meet you sir's. I am the lawyer that Hagrid invited to help him with his appeal."

Cornelius Fudge frowned.

"Aren't you Arth? Why are you here instead of taking your exams? Surely you have one right now. What happened to your eye?"

Arth gave another wide grin.

"Oh you know, if you don't have enough time, one simply needs to... turn it around once. And my eye will be relevant later on."

Fudge immediately understood what Arth was hinting at and sighed.

"Oh well, let's get on with this shall we?"

Arth placed his briefcase onto the table and took out his papers.

"Before we start, Can you look over these papers? They might change your mind a certain execution."

Fudge and the ancient looking wizard read over the papers and did a double take.

"...impressive," said Fudge glancing over Arth with genuine curiosity. "Would you like a job in the ministry after you graduate?"

"Ah... I'll think about it." Said Arth. "Let's get back on topic. Those papers you've read just now show us all of the cases where a dangerous animal got pardoned from an execution."

Arth gestured to Buckbeak outside.

"We are here today on the impression that the Hippogriff is a dangerous and uncontrollable animal, is that correct?"

The ancient wizard nodded his head up and down.

"That is correct."

"Well," said Arth while adjusting his glasses. "What if I can prove that the Hippogriff is actually not uncontrollable?"

"Huh?"

"Hagrid, this is where I will need you." Said Arth gesturing towards Hagrid. "What are the characteristics of a Hippogriff?"

"Er-" seemingly very caught off guard, Hagrid barely put out an answer. "They are proud creatures... they won't take an insult kindly."

"Exactly," said Arth while snapping his fingers. "You explicitly told this piece of information to your students on the day of the accident I assume?"

"That... that is correct."

Arth let out a satisfied smile before taking out another document.

"Here is the witness's report on what happened that day from people with no relation to the injured students."

"Students?" Asked the ancient wizard. "I thought there was only one injured, Malfoy's son?"

Arth did a small tut.

"Incorrect information given to you by Lucius Malfoy probably, there were two injured students. Anyways, please read over these reports."

Both the minister and ancient wizard looked over the reports and did a double take.

Arth gave a sly smile.

"It seems you have found it. If you read the multiple accounts of the witnesses, they explicitly say repeatedly that before the Hippogriff attacked, Malfoy's son, that the arrogant little boy insulted the Hippogriff causing it to retaliate."

Arth adjusted his glasses once more.

"So in this case, instead of a wild uncontrollable beast, we have a idiotic student who did not listen to his teacher. Can we really blame the Hippogriff for the attack?"

The ancient wizard frowned.

"The Hippogriff still injured a student. It does not matter whether the student deserved what he got or not. The beast was still a danger to the student."

Arth frowned.

It wasn't going good.

"Well the incident wouldn't have happened if the student listened to his teacher correct? So I say we forgive the beast and punish the student responsible as he caused the other student to get hurt due to his arrogance."

"A tamed beast should not attack its own owner even when insulted." Said the executioner.

Arth had a feeling that he was getting no where. The ancient wizard and executioner were probably bought off. No matter, cause Arth still had a trump card.

Arth reached over to his eyepatch and slowly took it off, revealing the still healing scar.

Everyone in the room was taken aback and stared at Arth with gazes of pity.

"I will say it now, I was the the second victim during the Hippogriff attack and it is clear that I have suffered more damage from the attack then the other boy."

Arth got up and did his best to seem powerful.

"I wish for not the beast to be killed but for the student to be punished. As the beast is not at fault. I should have a more powerful voice than the other victim as he had a easily healable scratch while I have a missing eye. And I am advocating for the Hippogriff to gain a second chance."