chapter 3

Harry weaved his way through the jostling crowd and found his way into one of the lifts. Unlike buildings in the Muggle side of Britain, it turned out that the levels of the Ministry building didn't go from the ground floor up to the first floor and so on. Instead the floor numbers decreased with height. It turned out that the Atrium had been on level eight. With the floor he wanted being on level two, Harry had quite a wait but finally the lift doors opened and the female voice from the telephone box announced "Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services."

To Harry the name "Improper Use of Magic Office" sounded promising. He was obviously on the right level and got out of the lift.

Harry found himself on a corridor lined with many doors. Two people had gotten out of the lift with Harry and they promptly marched off down the corridor, leaving him behind. He moved more slowly, reading the little sign on every door, explaining what the room beyond was for. Finally he came to one marked "Improper Use of Magic Office" and tried to turn the handle. The door swung open and Harry tentatively stepped into the room beyond. Inside there were two lines of three desks, one line along each side wall, and another, larger desk in between but at the back. Hanging on the wall behind this desk was a massive map of the Great Britain and Ireland. At a guess, Harry supposed that the map somehow indicated where magic was being used inappropriately, either before Muggles or by an underage witch or wizard. Technically Harry was guilty of both, though it was to save both his life and that of the stupid fat tub of lard that he technically was supposed to call his cousin.

Only four of the desks were occupied, including the big one at the back, and everyone in the room looked up at his sudden intrusion into their work day.

"Um… hi?" said Harry. Getting no greeting in response, Harry continued "I got a letter about attending a hearing-"

He broke off as the eyes of the witch sitting at the big desk lit up in recognition "Oh, Mr Potter! Yes, we were expecting you, though not for another hour or so. I'm Mafalda Hopkirk, I'm the head of this little office. Why don't you take a seat at Summerby's desk, she's in Majorca for the month, and I'll go and let Madam Bones know that you're here."

As Madam Hopkirk bustled out of the room, Harry made his way over to the nearest empty desk; the front left one, and saw a plaque with Summerby's name on it. Trying to ignore the stares he was getting from the other people in the office, Harry sat down in the chair behind the desk. The desk was untidy; a clutter of parchment, some of which contained hastily written notes, the rest of which contained what appeared to be runes of some kind. Harry supposed that the runes had something to do with how this office tracked the improper use of magic. There was also a picture of a boy of about Harry's age. Harry recognised him as Eric Summerby, a student from Hufflepuff house who was in the year above Harry. It was a strange thing, last year Eric Summerby had been one of the students who had treated Harry with contempt after he was entered in the tri-wizard tournament, and now Harry was sitting at his mother's desk at the Ministry awaiting a trial for underage magic.

I really was a small world after all.

A few moments after it had shut the door to the office opened again. Madam Hopkirk came in, and with her was a square-jawed woman with close-cropped grey hair and a monocle.

"Mr Potter" stated the monocle-wearing woman "you're here, good. I'm Amelia Bones, the Head of the DMLE. Follow me."

Confused, Harry none the less got to his feet and followed Amelia out of the room saying "I'm sorry, I thought that my hearing was taking place in here."

Madam Bones shook her head "No, those hearings usually take place with me in my office."

"Usually?" asked Harry.

"There has been a change of plans." replied Madam Bones as she led him towards the lifts at the end of the corridor "It seems that Minister Fudge doesn't trust me to come to a suitable outcome to this situation all by myself and has decided to hold your hearing before the whole Wizengamot."

"The what?" questioned Harry.

"The Wizengamot." replied Madam Bones as they got into a lift "A judicial and legislative branch of the Ministry. They are usually involved in the passing of decrees and the creation of new laws."

Trying to not sound rude, Harry asked "But why should my trial take place before all of them?"

"That is the point, Mr Potter," said Madam Bones "It shouldn't."

On floor four several Ministerial employees from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures got into the lift and Madam Bones went silent. Harry took the hint and kept quiet as well.

To Harry's surprise they didn't get out at the level of the Atrium and instead continued on downwards. When the lift came to a stop, the door rattled open and the female voice said "Department of Mysteries."

"Er…" began Harry as Madam Bones led the way out of the lift.

"Nothing to do with where we're going." she said to him as the lift doors clanged shut behind him.

Ahead Harry saw nothing except a single, plain black door set in the wall at the far end of the corridor. Harry half expected to be led through it, but with a "This way." Madam Bones guided him down a staircase off to one side.

At the bottom of the staircase they came to a corridor that consisted of rough stone walls and flaming torches in brackets. They passed several doors, each of which was heavy and made of wood, with iron bolts and keyholes.

"Here we are." said Madam Bones, stopping by a particularly dark and grimy door "Courtroom Ten." She turned to Harry "I have to head straight in as I'm a key member of the Wizengamot. You take a seat on that bench over there and someone will call for you when we are ready."

Harry gave a nod, turned and sat down on the bench. By the time he looked towards Madam Bones again, the door to the courtroom was just shutting behind her.

Harry remained sitting in complete silence for several very long minutes before hearing something. It sounded to him like the footsteps of someone trying to not make a sound and failing miserably.

He turned to look along the corridor, and the sound of footsteps stopped.

"Hello?" he asked aloud, but no reply came.

Harry got to his feet, his eyes straining to see in the torchlight.

"Hello?" he called again.

Almost as if in answer, the door to Courtroom Ten opened and a voice Harry recognised called out "Harry Potter?"

Harry turned and was surprised to see Percy Weasley, one of Ron's older brothers standing in the doorway, holding a roll of parchment and a quill. He was looking directly at Harry, but there was no sign of recognition on his face "Hurry up and get inside, Mr Potter. It won't do to keep the Wizengamot waiting."

And with that Percy turned and strolled back into the room, Harry following tentatively in his wake.