hpb31-40

The knock on her office door startled Amelia Bones and she spilled tea on some papers and her lap. Even though she was expecting visitors, she hadn't expected them so soon. After taking a few moments to mop up spilt tea, she called out, "come."

"Auror Broadmeer, ma'am," the oldest auror told her. "I have Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape here as requested."

"Thank you, Auror Broadmeer," Madame Bones quickly recovered from her surprise. Knowing Dumbledore as she did, she had expected the canny old wizard to try and stall their arrival as long as possible. "Please bring Dumbledore in and escort Professor Snape down to a holding cell."

"Yes Madame Bones," he turned to fulfil her orders and then remembered the message that Harry Potter had asked to be passed on. "Ma'am, I also have a message for you from Mr. Potter. He requested that whoever is sent to pick him up for the hearings, that it not be Auror Tonks."

Madame Bones made a note on her calendar on the date she had scheduled for Snape's and Umbridge's hearings for Auror Shacklebolt to pick up Mr. Potter and if he wasn't available for Broadmeer to do it. "I have taken care of it. Thank you again Auror Broadmeer."

"Thank you ma'am."

As the Auror left, Dumbledore came in.

"Tea Albus?" Madame Bones asked.

"That would be lovely, Amelia." Dumbledore was relieved to see the evidence of civility. Maybe things weren't as bad as he had envisioned. "I am surprised that Severus is not allowed to join us."

"He is being taken to a holding cell." Amelia told him as she handed him a cup of tea. "I have a few questions to ask you before you join him there."

After taking a sip of his tea, Dumbledore asked, "May I ask what I am being charged with?"

"You are being charged as an accessory to the crime of assault and mind rape by Professor Severus Snape upon the person of Harry James Potter. You may also be charged with negligence with regards to Madame Umbridge's actions during the year she was teaching at Hogwarts." Madame Bones told him. "And until today, if anyone had ever told me I would be arresting Albus Dumbledore for instigating an assault upon one of his students, I would have said they were mad."

There was a pause before Madame Bones looked him in the eye as she asked. "What I want to know is how could you stand by during Mr Potter's fifth year and allow Snape and Umbridge's actions toward the boy to go on unchecked?"

Dumbledore sipped his tea in silence for several minutes, his mind working frantically, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Finally he had to admit, "I'm afraid I do not know anything about the assault you are referring to, Amelia. The only task I assigned Severus outside his normal teaching duties was to teach Harry Occlumency in an effort to try and protect his mind from Voldemort. As for Delores Umbridge, I know from Minerva that Harry had a lot of detentions with her, but from what I was told she just had him writing lines."

Madame Bones stared at him in disbelief. "Do you think I'm that gullible, Albus?"

Dumbledore stared at her shocked. What had he said that was wrong?

Madame Bones continued before he could say a word. "I may not know everything about how the wards in and around Hogwarts work, but I do know the Headmaster or Headmistress is linked to them so that they have an early warning system in case of danger.

The Sorting Hat links all students into the wards at the time they are Sorted so that if a student is in 'real' danger and it's not just a matter of two students throwing hexes at each other in a fit of anger, he or she is supposed to be alerted. Are you trying to tell me that you knew nothing about the attacks by Snape upon Mr. Potter, or the fact that Delores Umbridge brought an instrument of torture into your school and used it on him and other students as well?"

"What instrument of torture?" Dumbledore growled.

"She brought a Blood Quill into the school and used it upon a minor, several minors in fact. Not only that, but she threatened Mr. Potter with the Cruciatus curse." Madame Bones told him then asked. "What happened Albus? How could the wards not have told you what she and Snape were doing to that boy?"

Dumbledore looked shocked at hearing that Umbridge had managed to bring a Blood Quill into his school. The wards shouldn't have missed it. He tried to remember if the wards had gone off during Potter's fifth year and couldn't remember any alarms coming from them.

There had been a numbers of times the wards had gone off during Potter's first and second year, and he had largely ignored them unless Mr. Potter had been in danger of losing his life.

He thought back trying to remember the last time they had gone off when Mr. Potter or any other student had been in danger and that had been near the end of his third year, when the Dementors had nearly killed him along with the Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, but the wards had also told him that a second Harry was out there on the grounds dealing with the situation. That had let him know that he had allowed Miss Granger to tell Harry about her time turner and that they had gone back to fix things.

But they hadn't gone off when Sirius had tried to attack Pettigrew in Ron's bed and that had been a situation where a child had been in danger. Sirius might have easily missed Pettigrew and stabbed Ron and yet there had been no tremor in the wards.

Had the fact that he ignored the castle's warnings because he needed to mould Mr. Potter into the warrior/weapon that would destroy Voldemort made Hogwarts think he wasn't interested in knowing about the danger his children were in until it was almost too late to help them? Had he made the castle think it had to take steps to protect the children since he wouldn't? He would have to have a talk with the Hogwarts about keeping secrets from him when he got back.

"Well Albus?" Amelia Bones had gotten tired of silence from the older wizard.

Dumbledore felt embarrassed when he admitted, "I'm sorry Amelia, but the wards never went off. I don't know why they didn't alert me.'

"Could it be because you were so busy trying to mould your weapon, that the castle thought you didn't give a damn about your primary responsibility which was to protect the students of that school?" It seemed as though Madame Bones had guessed the direction of his thoughts quite well.

"In all honesty," Dumbledore looked weary, "I don't know."

Amelia Bones just stared at him not fooled for a moment. "You honest! Oh please, Albus don't make me laugh. You have more secrets than Cornelius Fudge and you hide them better. I don't think you've told the whole truth to anyone in the last hundred years. I'm fairly certain you didn't tell the Wizengamot the whole truth about why you wanted to force Potter to go back to Hogwarts, but we did agree with the few valid reasons you did give which is why we enacted that legislation for you."

"So what happens now?" Dumbledore asked her.

"If you are done with your tea, you will join Professor Snape in a holding cell." Madame Bones told him. "Do you wish me to owl your solicitor?"

"Professor McGonagall, Dobby said you wanted to see me." Harry stood in the doorway of the Headmaster's office a blank expression on his face.

"Come in, Mr. Potter." She ordered. "Have a seat."

"I'll stand ma'am." Harry told her as he went over to look out the window. "What did you wish to see me about? I was involved in some research in the Library, since I wound up with an unexpected free period."

McGonagall just stared at him. "Come now, Mr. Potter, I don't think it was quite as unexpected as you are making it sound. At least I doubt it was for you."

Harry shrugged. "I knew it was coming. I just didn't know when."

"Why did you have Professor Snape and the Headmaster arrested?" McGonagall wanted to know. Remembering his comment at Ollivander's she asked. "Is this how you planned to get the Headmaster back? Are you going to be having us all arrested?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I said I would deal with Dumbledork in my own good time. You should also be aware that sometime within the next week an Auror will probably come to take me to Snape's hearing and if they've arrested Umbridge, probably hers as well. As to last question, professor haven't you been told that thinking someone is out to get you is the first sign of paranoia? You'll end up like Moody, if you aren't careful."

"I think I could be somewhat justified in my belief, given what I am told you sent to Miss Granger." McGonagall countered dryly.

"Oh," Harry smiled. "She got her present. I am glad." At the concerned expression on McGonagall's face, he asked, "Are you telling me she didn't like her gift and after all the thought I put into finding just the right thing to let her know how much her friendship meant to me? I mean I know how much more she cares about house elves and other non-humans than her supposed friends, so I thought it would be the perfect present."

"I doubt anyone would appreciate receiving a box of decapitated house elf heads as a gift, Mr. Potter." McGonagall pointed out. "Especially if one of them is still bleeding. I think it made her afraid she might be next."

Harry shook his head again. "That wasn't my intent at all. I know how worried she is about the house elves and wants them to have equal rights with wizards so I thought she would appreciate having these to take care of. Like I said, I know she is far more concerned with their welfare than with the welfare of her human friends. And after all the trouble I went to make sure they got there, she still didn't appreciate the gesture." He lowered his voice slightly as if he were sharing a secret. "I had to take a lot of care with the package before giving it to the postman, because he might not have delivered it, especially if he knew what was in it."

McGonagall realising she wasn't going to get anywhere else on this topic, returned to the reason she'd requested he join her. "What charges were brought against Professor Snape and the Headmaster?"

"Professor Snape was arrested on charges of mind rape and assault." Harry reported flatly. "Dumbledore was arrested as an accessory, probably because he allowed Snape to do what he wanted to me unmonitored, even though he knew the bastard hated me because of my father."

"Potter!" McGonagall snapped at him. "All of your teachers have told you they will not stand for you speaking about them and to them in such a disrespectful manner."

Harry's face was an expressionless mask. "And the last time you said that, I told you that the first time around my respect was freely given. This time it will have to be earned. Was there anything else ma'am ?"

"Yes, there is the matter of your detentions." McGonagall remembered the complaints from the teachers who had assigned him detention. "You haven't shown up for any but the first and after that one, Mr. Filch said he would not oversee any more of your detentions."

Harry smiled at the memory her words conjured up.

.....

Flashback

Trophy Room

Filch and Ms. Norris were waiting for Professor McGonagall to bring Mr. Potter down for his detention. He had purposely allowed Peeves to mess up the room as long as nothing was irreparably damaged, just to give the arrogant brat some real work to do.

"Potter, you will be serving your detention with Mr. Filch." McGonagall told him as she left him at the doorway to the trophy room.

"Get in there, boy." Filch ordered, once the teacher was gone. "Your job is to clean this room until it is spotless, without using your wand to clean it. I'll be back in an hour, so you'd better get started."

Harry didn't move.

"Get a move on, boy," Filch ordered. "You have to have it all done by curfew and that's in an hour."

"It's already done." Harry countered, leaning back against the wall outside the doorway. "Hard work it was too."

Filch grabbed the young man by the arm and prepared to drag him into the trophy room only to stand there stunned in amazement as he looked at the now empty room.

"What did you do, boy?" the caretaker growled.

"I'm going to give you this warning only once, Filch." Harry told him, his eyes filled with icy fire. "Do not ever call me boy again. I promise, you will not like the results."

"What did you do?" Filch shrieked.

"Calm down, Filchie." Harry patted the man on the back. "I just did exactly what you told me to do. The room is now spotless. And I didn't use a wand to do it either."

"Put them back." Filch growled.

"Now why would you want me to do that?" Harry gave him a confused look. "I thought you'd be happy. Especially since I went to all the trouble of making sure you'll never have to clean this room again."

"Put everything back the way it was." Filch demanded. "Or I'll make sure you are expelled."

"You know Filchie, that threat only works if someone really cares about staying here." Harry told him. "Your threats are meaningless, because I really didn't want to come back here in the first place. You have no power over me because there is nothing you can threaten me with that will make me do what you want. Not to mention the fact that Dumbledore wants me here, so he won't expel me. If you want those stupid trinkets back, I suggested you ask me nicely ."

Looking at the implacable expression on the boy's face, Filch knew he had lost and that if he wanted the items he was responsible for back he was going to have to do what he really didn't want to do. "Please, Mr. Potter, put the trophies and their cases back where they belong."

Harry clapped the caretaker on the back. "See that wasn't so hard." He gestured toward the trophy room. "There they are and I even cleaned off what Peeves did to them." As he turned to leave, he added, "not very nice of you by the way allowing Peeves make an even bigger mess in there."

End Flashback

Pleased that Filch was still cowed by what he had done, Harry said, "So, I didn't ask to be given any of them any way."

"You earned those detentions by not being prepared or participating in class." McGonagall pointed out. "You are obligated to take the punishment you have earned."

"If I accepted those detentions, that would imply that I wanted to be here and that you had a right to punish me because of my failures. We both know that I don't want to be here." Harry countered.

"That's the second time you've said you didn't want to be here." McGonagall commented. "If that is the case, then why did you even bother to come?"

"To avoid being a victim of the Wizarding World's double standards… again." Harry told her stiffly.

"What double standard are you talking about?" McGonagall inquired.

"The Imperious Curse is an Unforgivable right?"

"Yes," she couldn't see where this was leading.

"And yet the adults of the wizarding world think nothing of subjecting their children to it." Harry told her.

McGonagall got to her feet and stiffly demanded. "What are you talking about? We have never used the Imperious curse on our children! That would be unthinkable!"

"And just what would you call the spell that forces a child to return somewhere they in their heart of hearts do not wish to go?" Harry wanted to know. "I know all about the spell that is placed on a child the minute they step foot on school grounds as part of the magically binding contract that insures they come back every year, even if they may not want to. As I told Dumbledore the effect of the spell is forcing a child not to change its mind, and that makes it just like the Imperious curse."

McGonagall stared at the young man across from her stunned. Did he really have no concept of how important it was for a child to finish their magical education?

Before she could come up with a suitable response, Harry said, "Are we done ma'am? I do need to get to my next class. Don't want to rack up another detention for being late now do I?"

.....

By dinner that evening, nearly everyone at Hogwarts had heard about Snape and Dumbledore's arrest.

The teachers were all giving Harry dark looks, even Hagrid. The student's reactions varied, depending on their house.

Granger spent most of dinnertime glaring at him, but said nothing. Harry had been grateful for the fact that Granger's looks and thoughts couldn't kill, or else he'd be six feet under right now.

He also briefly admired her restraint. He was certain she wanted to verbally rip him apart for having one of her hero's arrested and the only thing stopping her was her fear of provoking him. He couldn't help wondering if she would be this restrained when she saw what he had in mind for McGonagall and the other Heads of House.

The Weasels had also settled for giving him dark looks and muttering to their friends and cohorts. Maybe there was hope for the older Weasel, his former friend. After a moment's consideration of that idea, Harry decided it wasn't the case. It was far more likely that his companions were restraining him to keep him from doing anything stupid. A pity, he sighed. He would have enjoyed turning the idiot into a ferret like Malfoy had been during their fourth year. It was a member of the weasel family after all.

Other Gryffindors along with some of the Hufflepuffs showed less restraint. They would come up and congratulate him on having Snape arrested and in the next breath be blasting him for having Dumbledore arrested.

The Ravenclaws with the exception of Luna left him alone. She came over to congratulate him on a well thought out strategy that took out two with one very legal strike.

The Slytherins on the other hand were the exact opposite to the Gryffindors. They were pleased that Dumbledore had been arrested, but were very angry that Snape had been too and on a more serious charge.

For the most part Harry ignored them all, except when they began to threaten to hex him. He would take his attention from the book he was reading and give them an icy stare that some of the younger Gryffindors would later swear was worse that Snape's. After a few moments under that icy gaze the student in question quickly found someone else to talk to or somewhere else to be.

.....

Harry spent a large part of the weekend in the library researching the legal wizarding terms that made up a large part of his parents will. There were clauses and sub-clauses he needed to sort out among other things. He wanted to make sure he had all his wizards in a row before he started knocking them over.

Not that any of the other students who had wandered over to see what he was doing in the out of the way corner of the library would know what he was working on.

He had cast a glamour charm on the books and papers so that anyone who came by would think he was working on his assignments for class. Hermione had even come by once and smiled when she saw him hard at work. The way she hurried off, he was certain that she was going to report to McGonagall that Potter was doing the homework for his classes… finally. Wouldn't she and Granger be in for a rude surprise on Monday?

On Wednesday at 8 am, Auror Shacklebolt entered the Great Hall and was largely ignored as he went up to speak with McGonagall. After a few moments conversation, the Deputy Headmistress tapped the side of her glass to get the attention of the students.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, please accompany Auror Shacklebolt to the Ministry." She instructed the two Gryffindors.

Having received letters from the Ministry on Monday, both of them had known to expect the arrival of an Auror. Hermione had spent most of the morning glaring at Harry, because he wasn't properly dressed for appearing at a court hearing. He was wearing jeans and another one of those attitude t-shirts. This one said: 'I can only please one person a day and today's not your day. Tomorrow's not looking to good either.'

At least it was better than the t-shirt he had originally intended to wear: 'Your village called. They want their idiot back.' She had told him that was the wrong message to send to the Ministry and the court, if he really wanted to get Umbridge put away and suggested he wear his school uniform.

 Harry had said nothing as he went back upstairs and when he came back down, she gave up trying to convince him he was representing the school today. The message on the t-shirt was quite clearly directed at her as was the warning he had given her with his icy stare that she was overstepping the agreed upon boundaries.

As Shacklebolt led the two silent students out of the Great Hall, Harry had to admire the man's poker face. He couldn't tell from the dark man's expression what his thoughts were about the fact that the Head of the Order he also worked for was going to be on trial today.

Once they reached the entry hall he pulled out a flat metal disk and told them. "The portkey is set to take us to a waiting room off of Courtroom One.

Hermione winced. That had been the courtroom where Harry had taken away all the books she had been given by Sirius and the Weasleys had been forced to give up the funds that Sirius had left to them for taking care of Harry when he couldn't.

Kingsley continued having missed her reaction, "The trial for Madame Umbridge will begin in an hour and after it is over, I will be bringing you back to Hogwarts Miss Granger. Mr. Potter, you will be remaining for Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore's trial later this afternoon."

"Will Mr. Boet be meeting me there?" Harry wanted to know.

"He is already there waiting for you." Shacklebolt told him. Gesturing to the disk he told them, "Take hold of it."

When they had done so, he touched it with his wand and said, "Portus."

Harry stumbled slightly as the port key deposited them in the waiting room.

Mr. Boet greeted him as soon as he had recovered his balance. "Good morning, Mr. Potter."

"Mr. Boet," Harry nodded to the other man.

"Has Auror Shacklebolt advised you of the order of the proceedings?" Boet wanted to know.

"He said that Umbitch," Harry ignored Granger's gasp of surprise at the fact that he changed Umbridge's name to a swear word, "will be first and then Snape and Dumbledore this afternoon."

Mr. Boet nodded, then told his client, "Once we finish with the Umbridge hearing, I thought we might speak about that information you requested last week."

"We can discuss it over lunch, if that's all right." Harry told him.

"That will be fine. We can go to a muggle restaurant. We'll have some privacy there." Mr. Boet told him. "I also have some papers here I need you to look over for the Remus Lupin Foundation."

Overhearing this, Hermione asked, "What Remus Lupin Foundation?"

Harry glared at her. "Not that it's any of your business what I discuss with my solicitor, Miss Know-It-All, but it is the foundation I set up for werewolves in Remus' name. Now go away you nosy busybody."

Hermione felt her eyes begin to tear up, but quickly wiped them away determined not to show any weakness. She had only herself to blame. He had set the limits and twice now she had stepped over them and invaded his personal life. Sitting down in one of the available chairs, Hermione did her best to ignore the conversation going on between Harry and his solicitor, even though she really wanted to put her two pence in.

It used to be her advice that he would ask for and trust, but now he didn't even want it offered and that hurt. Unfortunately as her mother had pointed out to her when she'd heard what had happened, Hermione knew she had no one but herself to blame for the fact that one of her best friends now wanted nothing to do with her. She should have known better. She shouldn't have been so quick to believe Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall when they said he was guilty, but for some reason, she always believed in the judgement of those in authority unless they proved to be a real danger to the public like Fudge.

She had taken their claims as truth without even a second thought and in her anger at what she thought was his betrayal of his friends had done the unthinkable, in destroying the only memories Harry had ever had of his parents. She had been the betrayer not him. She was determined to make up for it, somehow. She was going to get her friend back.

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts that she never noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt come back into the waiting room, until he said. "It's time to go in."

The courtroom looked almost the same as it had when she and the Weasleys had been summoned here regarding the reversal of aspects of Sirius' will. In fact if she hadn't know better, Hermione would have thought it was a muggle courtroom.

The only difference was that instead of the one seat for the judge, there were now three seats behind a long table, with one off to the side for the court scribe. At least this one wasn't as gloomy as the dungeon that Fudge had tried Harry in during their fifth year, when he was trying to show Harry and the Wizarding world just who was in power.

Hermione watched as Harry and his solicitor took their places at one of the tables. She noticed that Umbridge and her solicitor were already at the other one.

Hermione noted with some satisfaction that Umbridge didn't look nearly as confident as she had when she used the power of the Ministry to try and control the staff and students of Hogwarts.

She also saw with some surprise that Fudge was in the courtroom. She had thought this hearing was to be a closed to the public. Hermione was pleased to see though that he wasn't seated up in the area where the tribunal would sit and guessed he was just here as an observer.

He was seated in the area behind Umbridge and his fingers were moving nervously over the rim of his bowler hat. Hermione was willing to bet the incompetent Minister was here to find out how much damage control he was going to have to do once the truth of Umbridge's crimes came out.

Hermione glanced around the room and didn't see anyone else there, but she didn't take that at face value. Knowing that Rita Skeeter was a bug animagus, Hermione was willing to bet there was someone she couldn't see in the room.

As Hermione took a seat in the row behind Harry, Madame Bones along with two elderly witches and wizard and a young blond witch entered the courtroom. Hermione assumed the younger witch was the court scribe and not a member of the Wizengamot.

As soon as the tribunal was seated, Madame Bones began. "This hearing is called to review the charges that have been filed by Harry James Potter regarding the actions of Senior Under-Secretary Delores Umbridge, both before and during the time she was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher during Mr. Potter's fifth year. The tribunal today is composed of Wizengamot members Gwendolyn Hill, Alisha Postern, and Martin Bellacote. Interrogator will be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones. And Court Scribe, Marion Glendowling."

Looking at the assembled group in front of her, Madame Bones went on. "Are you Delores Umbridge of 15 Compton Mews in Stoughton-on-the-Thames?"

"Yes," Umbridge confirmed her identity.

Looking in Harry's direction, Madame Bones asked, "Are you Mr Harry James Potter of #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?"

"As of right now, yes." Harry confirmed.

Madame Bones looked at Hermione. "Are you Miss Hermione Granger of 35 Parkhurst Terrace Seven Oaks?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded.

"Also present are Minister Fudge, solicitor for Madame Umbridge; Mr. Graham Merkson, and solicitor for Mr. Harry James Potter; Mr. Alexander Boet. You do remember, Minister, that you agreed not to say one word during this hearing? You are here strictly here as an observer nothing more." The glare Madame Bones gave Fudge as she said this had the Minister squirming like an errant schoolboy. "All required parties appear to be present. Since there are a number of charges to deal with, we will be taking one at a time. Miss Glendowling, please read the first charge."

The court scribe read from the parchment in front of her. "On August 2, 1996, Delores Umbridge, then an employee of the Ministry of Magic, did send two Dementors to Little Whinging, Surrey with the intent of having them murder Mr. Harry James Potter by means of the Kiss."

Once the court scribe finished reading the first charge, Madame Bones asked. "Did you Madame Umbridge order two Dementors to attack the person of Harry James Potter in Little Whinging Surrey on August 2, 1996?"

"If you remember at that hearing we were never able to satisfactorily prove that Mr. Potter was even attacked by Dementors." Umbridge told her smugly.

"Based on the eyewitness testimony of the squib Mrs Arabella Figg, it was confirmed that there were Dementors in the area. We just never found out who sent them." Bones reminded her. "If you will recall the hearing was terminated by Minister Fudge when he found out he would not be able to expel Mr. Potter for using magic to defend himself and his cousin."

"So Umbridge, are you saying you did not send the Dementors to Surrey?" The elderly witch sitting to the right of Madame Bones asked the question again.

"I believe she has answered that question, Madame Hill." Umbridge's solicitor spoke up.

"I didn't ask you, young man." Madame Gwendolyn Hill sounded exactly like a crotchety old woman should as she berated the solicitor. "I asked Umbridge and she hasn't answered it. She evaded the question."

"No ma'am, I did not." Umbridge told her.

"We shall see," Madame Bones countered. "Miss Hermione Granger, according to information provided to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, you were present the evening that then Headmistress Umbridge admitted to sending the Dementors after Mr. Potter, is that correct?"

Standing up, Hermione said, "Yes Madame Bones, I was."

"Would you please tell this tribunal what you heard Headmistress Umbridge say?" Madame Bones requested.

Hermione took a deep breath wanting to make sure she had it right. "She said that what the Minister didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She said that he never knew that she had sent the Dementors after Harry, but that he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him all the same."

A quick glance at Fudge showed he was shocked by Umbridge's reasoning. She didn't know why he should be shocked given that he had spent Harry's entire fifth year up until the moment Voldemort had gotten in his face trying to discredit Harry.

"Did she by any chance say why she sent the Dementors after Mr. Potter?" The elderly wizard Martin Bellacote wanted to know.

"She said it was because somebody had to act." Hermione responded. "She said they were all bleating about silencing or discrediting Harry somehow and that she was the only one who actually did something about it."

Hermione noted with some satisfaction, that Fudge and Umbridge's faces had gone pasty white for a moment, but they quickly recovered.

"Surely, Madame Bones," Mr. Merkson inquired obsequiously, "you are not going to take the word of a child over the Undersecretary to the Minister are you? She is one of Mr. Potter's best friends after all."

"That is no longer the case," Mr. Boet spoke up, unintentionally sending Hermione's hopes for regaining Harry's friendship plunging to the ground, "and hasn't been since the trial that sent Mr. Potter to Azkaban on false charges."

"Perhaps she hopes to regain Mr. Potter's friendship, by telling lies that would get a woman, Mr. Potter clearly hates, imprisoned?" Mr. Merkson pointed out. "I mean given that Mr. Potter was imprisoned at least partly because of her testimony, this will not be the first time she would have lied before the Wizengamot."

"Given that he was falsely convicted and imprisoned, Mr. Potter wouldn't have another person imprisoned on false charges, even if it is someone he hates and even though there are no longer Dementors at Azkaban to give them the same experience he had there." Mr Boet countered.

"I will take veritaserum if necessary to prove what I am saying is true." Hermione offered. "Can Madame Umbridge say that she will do the same?"

There was silence from both Umbridge and her solicitor. Hermione resumed her seat feeling vindicated.

Bones ordered, "Read the next charge Miss Glendowling."

The scribe moved on to the next charge. "As the Ministry appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Miss Delores Umbridge deliberately provided sub-standard teaching that if it continued would have put the students graduating from Hogwarts in danger and left them unable to defend themselves and their families from the Dark Lord…." there was a momentary hesitation before the scribe said, "Voldemort."

This to Hermione was a very serious charge. She hated poor teaching with a passion and while Hogwarts had had a succession of Defence teachers during her time there, none of them had ever been as bad as Umbridge, not even Lockhart, who after a year with Lupin as teacher, she had finally conceded hadn't been the best teacher they could have had. But even he hadn't done as much harm as Umbridge had to the lower year classes.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge made that annoying sound she made just before she was going to say something pompous. "That is what Aurors are for, to defend the Wizarding public."

"Oh and I thought they were to defend and protect the Minister only." Harry countered. "He certainly kept enough about him whenever he was in public after he finally admitted to Voldemort's return. Not that he was in any real danger from Voldemort, given that he was inept and pretty useless."

"Mr. Potter," Madame Bones rebuked him. "Please refrain from making comments like that at this hearing. Minister Fudge is having a hard enough time keeping silent as it is."

Both Harry and Hermione looked over and saw the Minister was red faced and appeared to be biting his lips in order to keep from saying something he might regret.

"Yes ma'am," Harry nodded. He really didn't want to get the pompous little man started, even if he would enjoy seeing what Madame Bones did to him for breaking his promise. Then he asked something that had been puzzling him about Umbitch's behaviour. "What really surprises me, ma'am is that Umbridge is sitting there so calmly. I would have expected her to be foaming at the mouth in paranoia by now. How did you manage that?"

"She was given three calming draughts before the hearing began." Madame Bones told him. "The draughts don't interfere with her ability to mount a defence, but they have kept her hysterics down."

Harry smiled at the thought of Umbitch tranquillised like a patient in a mental ward.

Returning to the matter before them, Madame Bones asked. "Did you deliberately provide sub-standard teaching to the students at Hogwarts?"

"I think you will find from the records," Umbridge said proudly, "that year I taught saw a number of the students who got the highest scores ever in the history of Hogwarts on their Defence OWLs and NEWTs. I think that proves I was anything but an incompetent teacher. It also proves that I was not teaching sub-standard classes."

"Given that all you had them doing was reading out of books and no practical spellwork, how do you account for the high grades that the fifth and seventh year students received?" Madame Bones wanted to know.

Again looking smug, Umbridge said, "It just goes to show that with superior materials, a student can learn what is needed without having to practice the spells ahead of time. It also goes to show that a Ministry appointed teacher did far better than all the teachers chosen by Albus Dumbledore. I mean he hired a werewolf to teach the students, that just shows you the level of incompetence of the previous teachers."

As Hermione stared at the idiotic woman in disbelief, she heard loud snort from Harry.

"You disagree with Madame Umbridge's assessment of why you and your fellow students did so well on your OWLs, Mr. Potter?" The other elderly witch on the tribunal, Madame Amelia Postern asked.

"Yes ma'am I do." Harry told her. "First of all Remus Lupin was an excellent teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. I did some checking and prior to my fifth year, the fifth and seventh year students he taught, all scored the best on their OWLs and NEWTs even if they did not have scores as high as we did. As for my fifth year, I have a list of the members of the Defence Association, a study group we formed because of Umbridge's incompetent teaching skills, and I'm willing to bet that if you check every single member of the DA is one of the students who scored high on either the Defence OWLs, NEWTs, or with their regular end of year defence exams.

Those who did poorly, which included most of the Slytherins, all relied on what they learned in Umbridge's classes. And other than exposure to her prejudice against half-breeds and other 'non-human' creatures,"

Harry made the gesture for quotes in the air when he said the words non-human, "I doubt that anybody learned anything useful from that woman. And I dread to think of what might have happened if that woman had managed to last more than a year as Defence teacher. Why in few years we might have had Aurors who couldn't fight their way out of paper bags." Then he was heard muttering, "not that they're much better now."

"And we all know your opinion of those in authority, don't we Mr. Potter?" Mr. Merkson spoke up quickly. "You have quite a history of detentions and rule breaking, don't you?"

"Mr. Potter isn't the one on trial, Merkson." Mr Boet pointed out. "He is the victim here, not Umbridge."

"How do we know that for sure? After all it is only his word against Madame Umbridge's on all of these charges and he does have a well-documented history of lying and rule breaking. He even admitted to this court just now that he had a study group in violation of Ministry edicts." Merkson retorted.

"Are you referring to the time when, at the Minister's instigation," Harry glared at Fudge as he said this, "the Daily Prophet was calling me a liar because I claimed that Voldemort had returned?" Harry shook his head as everyone but he, Granger, and Mr. Boet flinched again at the mention of the former Dark Lord's name. "Well we know who was telling the truth there now don't we? And it is not just my word on some of the more serious charges. You heard Miss Granger testify that Umbridge admitted to sending the Dementors after me."

"Gentlemen," Madame Bones interrupted. "Can we get back to the matter at hand? Mr. Merkson, Mr. Boet is quite correct. Mr. Potter is not the one on trial here, your client is. We still have several more charges that we need to get through. Mr. Potter, I would appreciate that list so we can check it."

Harry nodded and with a slight wave of his hand a paper flew from the table he was sitting at to land in front of Madame Bones.

"Next charge please, Miss Glendowling." Madame Bones instructed.

"It is charged," Glendowling read the next charge. "That Madame Umbridge brought into Hogwarts a forbidden Dark item known as a Blood Quill and used it on the students."

"As a Ministry employee, you know it is a capital offence to even have, let alone use a Blood Quill on another human being." Bones stared intently at the woman. "Did you bring a Blood Quill into Hogwarts and use it on the students?"

"I know very well what items are and are not allowed into Hogwarts and I brought no forbidden items into Hogwarts. Nor did I use them on any human beings" Umbridge told her.

"Interesting dance around the truth," Harry observed. "If a Blood Quill is not specifically listed as a forbidden item at Hogwarts, then you told the truth, but given that the Blood Quill has been a banned item in the wizarding community for almost two hundred years, you still possessed something you should not have had and violated the law by using it and if the back of my hand is not proof of that, then there are several other students, I'm sure could be brought in here to testify to your use of it on them."

"May we see you hand?" Martin Bellacote requested pulling out his wand.

Harry stepped up to the tribunal's table and presented his hand for their examination. The words 'I must not tell lies' were clearly visible as scars on the back of his hand.

The wizard touched his wand to the back of Harry's hand and muttered, "Suggero Malum Radix."

An image of a quill floated up high enough for everyone to see, and Hermione was pleased to see that Umbridge's face paled slightly.

"The scars on the back of Mr. Potter's hand were caused by a Blood Quill," Bellacote concluded. "You do know the law don't you Madame Umbridge? Because a Blood Quill is considered an instrument of torture, the penalty is an automatic twenty years in Azkaban for each time the Quill is used on a witch or wizard."

"It hasn't yet been proven that Madame Umbridge brought the Blood quill to Hogwarts let alone used it on any students there." Her solicitor pointed out.

"How many times do you claim that Madame Umbridge used the Blood Quill on you, Mr. Potter?" Madame Postern asked.

"I lost count," Harry admitted, "but it was at least two or three times a week for at least six months. She had me writing lines with the quill for sometimes up to four hours." Harry told her. "Personally, I think it was kind of a high price for not giving into the pressure that toad was trying to apply."

"I quite agree." The elderly witch looked at Umbridge a severe expression on her face. "You do realise Madame that even you are cleared on the other charges but aren't on this one, you can look forward to nine hundred and sixty-six years in Azkaban, just for the harm done to Mr. Potter."

"It hasn't yet been proven that Madame Umbridge brought a Blood Quill to Hogwarts or used one on the students." Merkson repeated.

"Quite true," Madame Bones agreed, causing Umbridge to look relieved, until she added. "It hasn't been proven… yet. Come here Mr. Potter."

Harry came to stand in front of Madame Bones.

She took his wrist in a firm grip and told him. "This might hurt a quite bit Mr. Potter, but I think you'll like the results." Placing the tip of her wand on the words carved in Harry's hand, she said, "Reverto ut tribuo si iniustus donatus."

Harry felt a painful burning sensation in the back of his hand and instinctively tried to pull away, but Madame Bones had an iron grip on his wrist and he couldn't get away.

"Just a few more moments, Mr. Potter," She whispered softly as a shriek came from Madame Umbridge.

Releasing Harry's hand, she said, "Have a look."

Harry looked at the back of his hand. The words that had been carved there for almost two years were now gone. "Thank you Madame Bones."

"You're quite welcome Mr. Potter." She assured him looking a little tired.

"Are you alright ma'am?" He asked concerned.

"Just a little tired." She assured him. "That spell takes a lot out of the caster because they become a channel for the pain."

"Can the counterspell remove the words from anyone?" Harry wanted to know.

"Only if the Blood Quill was used unjustly and the caster has to be strong enough to withstand the pain that went into putting the words there in the first place, before they are returned to the person who used the Blood Quill on its victim. It is part of the reason that Blood Quills were banned in the first place. They are so easy to abuse. Take your seat please, Mr. Potter."

Taking a deep breath, Madame Bones said, "I think we have settled the question as to whether or not Miss Umbridge brought a Blood Quill into Hogwarts and used it on a student." She pointed with a quill to where Umbridge was holding her left hand and rocking back and forth. "If she hadn't, then the unjustly given punishment to write 'I will not tell lies' would not now be imbedded in her hand. Let that be a lesson to you Madame. Next charge Miss Glendowling."

"The next charge is in three parts." The court scribe recited from her list.

"Madame Umbridge is charged with attempting to give veritaserum to an under-aged wizard. First without getting the Ministry's approval to administer a truth drug she is not qualified to dispense.

Secondly of attempted murder due to the fact that too much veritaserum was used in her first attempt and that might have killed Mr. Potter by overdose because she failed to follow the instructions of the school's Potions Master in administering it.

 Thirdly she requested additional veritaserum to use on the same student at a later date, again without Ministry approval but due to the fact that the Potions Master of Hogwarts had none available she was unable to try again."

"As a Ministry employee Umbridge, you know that veritaserum is only to be used with Ministry approval and to be given to any person to be questioned only by someone authorized to prepare and dispense it." Madame Bones spoke up when the court scribe had finished. "I know from your records madam that you are neither of those. You failed to get an OWL in potions when you were going to school. Did you request Veritaserum from Professor Severus Snape?"

Knowing that if she denied requesting the veritaserum, they would just bring Professor Snape, who was a respected Potions Master in to confirm that he had indeed given her veritaserum to use on Mr. Potter and that she had requested a second vial from him, Umbridge decided to admit to this charge. She would however not accept the attempted murder charge. "I did request Veritaserum, but I did not intend to murder Mr. Potter with it."

"When I questioned Professor Snape about this matter, he advised me that he did instruct you as to its use and that you should place no more than three drops in any liquid. He will answer to charges for giving veritaserum to someone not licensed to use it." Madame Bones countered.

"Given that fact that you knew how much the dosage was supposed to be, why did you feel compelled to use the whole vial he gave you? Did you think you knew more about how to use it than someone whose job it is to dispense veritaserum? Or did you just not care because this was Harry Potter a boy you were trying to silence and if he died while you were getting the truth from him, well it was no great loss?"

"That was not my intent, Madame Bones," Umbridge was sweating slightly. "The boy had information on two wanted criminals and it was desperately needed to try and stop the Deatheaters and to keep Dumbledore from destabilising the government. Sirius Black was a known Deatheater…"

"Who has since been cleared on all charges," Harry put in.

"Are you aware Miss Umbridge of the reason why we do not give Veritaserum to under-aged witches and wizards?" Madame Bones asked. "What made you think that you could get around Ministry rules? They are there for a reason."

"Yes ma'am I am, but I felt the knowledge that would be gained far outweighed the possible risks." Umbridge told her. "I felt that Mr. Potter's potential discomfort was far outweighed by the risk to the wizarding world if he were not interrogated under veritaserum."

" Discomfort! " Bones couldn't believe the woman could be that stupid. "You call the potential loss of Mr. Potter's magical gifts as strong as they are and possible brain damage, discomfort! I would have used far different words, madam. Catastrophe or the complete and utter destruction of the wizarding world would have been my choice, given that a prophecy that has since been revealed showed that Mr. Potter was the only one who could defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Umbridge paled at the thought of if fate hadn't intervened, she might have taken out their only chance to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all.

"Read the last charge," Madame Bones instructed the scribe as she just glared at the idiotic woman.

Miss Glendowling read, "Headmistress Delores Umbridge did attempt to use of the Unforgivable Cruciatus curse on the person of Harry James Potter."

"I never cast any Unforgiveables." Umbridge told the tribunal.

"Only because you were stopped by Granger." Harry pointed out. "She had started to cast the curse before Hermione interrupted her with a shout."

"Is this true, Miss Granger?" Madame Hill asked.

"Yes ma'am it is." Granger told her.

"And why don't you tell them what you did to me leaving me at the mercy of those half-breeds in the Forbidden Forrest after you tricked me into going out there with you." Umbridge countered, wanting to take the two of them down with her. It was fairly easy by now to see that this tribunal was going to make sure she went down and went down hard.

Suggero Malium Radix - Provide injury source

Reverto ut tribuo si iniustus donatus - Return to the giver if unjustly given

…..

"To justice done." Mr Boet raised his glass of wine in a toast after the waiter had brought their orders.

"It's pity there are no more Dementors for Umbridge to spend time with at Azkaban. If anyone deserves them she does." Harry touched his glass to the solicitor's in acknowledgement, but to him justice wouldn't be done until all of those who had betrayed him had paid for their crimes.

Then he observed, "Given that she was sentenced to over a thousand years in Azkaban, I wonder if they will wall up her cell when she dies, to make sure no one removes the body before her full sentence is served?"

Mr. Boet wisely made no comment to either statement by his client.

Before taking a bite of his meal Harry asked, "Alexander, what do think the chances are that Dumbledore will go down with Snape?"

After a moment's consideration, Boet replied. "Not very likely. He'll probably get probation. Also the Wizengamot may require some kind of monitor on his activities at the school for while. I spoke with Madame Bones the day I brought in your charges and your pensieve and she told me that the wards around Hogwarts should have alerted him to both Umbridge's activities and Snape's. That means he either ignored the warnings or has ignored so many previous warnings that Hogwarts is no longer alerting him to potential problems because he's given the castle the impression he doesn't want to know."

"Probably the latter." Harry commented, thinking back over his years at Hogwarts. "Any ideas about the possible punishments they could give Snape, if they decide to find him guilty?"

"Not many," Boet told him. "He is very skilled Potions Master and there are very few of those around, so if they do find him guilty, the punishment they give will not deprive them of those services for very long. One thing I will push for is that the man be banned from ever teaching again, unless it is to an apprentice and then that the master apprentice relationship be very carefully supervised."

Boet pulled a folder out of his carrying case and handed it to Harry. "These papers you need to sign as soon as you can so that the foundation can get started."

"What about the shelter for them especially during the full moon?" Harry took the folder and gave the contents a cursory look.

"I had one of my people and one of Gringotts best wizards check out the Black properties as you requested." Boet told him. "The best choice for a place for them to stay especially during the full moon would be Blackmoor Isle. The castle there, while it needs some work, is easily the size of Hogwarts.

Given that it is on an island, it will be easiest to ward so that they can only leave it when they are human. That way they are safe and they don't have to be confined. They can run free on the nights of the full moon and I have been told that wards to insure they can't leave the island while in wolf form will be easy to put in place."

"Good," Harry was pleased with the arrangements. "Once the foundation is up and running, let the werewolves know there is shelter and employment there. I will pay them for repairing the castle."

"Did you want an article in the Daily Prophet to let them know about the foundation and the offer of work and shelter?" Boet wanted to know.

"Have the head of the Foundation hold a press conference and invite every paper, since werewolves are everywhere." Harry decided. "Remind the Daily Prophet that it is best not to bite the hand that feeds them, given that between all those families inherited from I now own about an eighty percent controlling interest in their paper.

Make sure the Prophet understands that if they slant this story the wrong way, they will be shut down the minute it hits the street. Also make sure they understand I will no longer tolerate them being an extension of the Ministry. If they have no proof about what they print, it will not be printed. No longer will they be allowed to print innuendo and half truths."

"They are not going to like that." Boet observed.

"I don't give a damn." Harry countered. "I'm sick of them getting away with destroying people's lives. Oh and on that topic, make sure you put anti-animagi wards around the interview area. We don't want Skeeter to get any information on this and put her own special slant on it."

"That woman is a bit slimy snake, isn't she?" Boet commented and then caught on to what Harry had implied. "Are you saying that Rita Skeeter is an animagus?"

"Yep. An unregistered beetle animagus to be precise." Harry told him "Whatever wards are put up at the press conference, make sure they are set to trap any animagi who may try and sneak in. Rita won't be able pass up a story like this one. I have no doubt she will feel compelled to give it her own special touch. And if she does show up I want her exposed."

Boet made some notes to be passed on to those who would be doing the press conference to let the wizarding world and werewolves know about the Foundation. The two of them continued to discuss the Foundation through lunch.

"You said had some information on that family I asked you about?" Harry changed the subject as they started on dessert.

"Yes, I have what little information there is, right here." Boet pulled another folder out of his carrying case. "I had one of my people get the name from Ollivander and check out the records in the Ministry. There isn't much on the Weyland family."

"Isn't that one of the names on my inheritance list?" Harry inquired.

"Yes it is." Boet confirmed. "Gareth Weyland was condemned to the Kiss as Mr. Ollivander told you and it wasn't until after the Kiss had been performed that they found out he hadn't been working for Grindelwald, that it was another wizard who was almost his twin. Weyland's wife was killed during an air raid in Muggle London.

That left a boy of nine Kerr and his two sisters Gwyneth who was three at the time and their baby sister Mari who was only about a year old. No wizarding family would take them in. The taint of the original accusation was too strong, even after their father was proven innocent. None of them wanted to take another potential Dark Lord into their homes and families."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Harry wanted to know. "The wizarding world creates its own problems with those attitudes of theirs. I'm just glad I won't have to deal with it after this year. What else do you have on the family?"

"Not much more," Mr. Boet told him. "The Ministry confiscated all their property, but couldn't touch the vaults at Gringotts since the Weylands were the main heirs of Ravenclaw line and her vaults were protected by magic far older than the Ministry, so they couldn't get near them and the goblins weren't going to hand them to the Ministry. The confiscated property was given to the families of those Gareth Weyland had supposedly wronged and even after it was proven that he wasn't guilty, the Ministry made no attempts to get that property back and give it to the children. Nor did those who received the property offer to give it back."

"That was probably part of what drove Kerr into Voldemort's camp." Harry commented.

"More than likely, given that he had no one to stand up for him and his sisters and insure they were treated fairly." Mr. Boet agreed.

Harry was silent for several minutes. "I have a good idea what happened to Kerr given that according to Mr. Ollivander, he joined Voldemort, but do we have any idea what happened to his sisters?"

"Unfortunately not," Mr. Boet told him.

"Those times were very unsettled in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds and it was far too easy for people to disappear for good. Tracking what happened to two little girls is going to be impossible.

However given that you are the heir to the Weyland's vault and it is a documented fact that Kerr had no children, it is reasonable to assume that he took his sisters out into the muggle world after a bombing and left them where they could be found and those who found them would assume that their parents were dead killed in the bombing.

Kerr may have wanted to protect them from the prejudice he had already experienced in the wizarding world, even if it meant he never saw them again. I do know they never attended any magical schools. At least they didn't under their real names, and if they did go, they were probably thought to be muggle-born."

Harry looked thoughtful. "I wish we had more than that, but you're right it would probably be impossible to track what happened to them, given that it happened nearly sixty years ago. Is there any way to find out what properties were confiscated? I want them back. They should have been given back, once my great-grandfather was proven innocent. Since those who received the properties weren't honourable enough to return them to the children they rightly belonged to, they will be forced to return them to their heir."

When they returned to Courtroom One after lunch, Harry saw the room had undergone significant changes.

The raised dais where the tribunal had been seated earlier was no much larger than before and there was a heavy chair halfway between it and the tables he and Umbridge had sat at. In the room, there appeared to be about twenty witches or wizards, besides Madame Bones and Miss Glendowling the court scribe.

Once Madame Bones saw them, she called the hearing to order and nine of the older witches and wizards joined her on the dais.

"Given that a member of the Wizengamot is on trial here today along with Professor Snape, there will be more members to the tribunal." Mr Boet told Harry as they took their seats at the table on the right. "It is supposed to give the appearance of impartiality."

Harry snorted in disbelief at that statement. "And the chair?"

"You will sit in it when giving you testimony."

Madame Bones again went through the identification and confirmation of the participants for the record, and then instructed the court scribe to read the charges.

"Professor Severus Augustus Snape is charged with repeated assault and mind rape upon the person of Mr. Harry James Potter during his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These assaults occurred from January to May in 1996 and were done under the guise of teaching Mr. Potter Occlumency."

The court scribe paused briefly as she saw the name on the next charge. "Headmaster Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore is charged as an accessory to the crimes of Professor Severus Augustus Snape for failing to properly supervise the Occlumency lesson that he forced Mr. Potter to have with Professor Snape, even though he was well aware of Professor's Snape's dislike for Mr. Potter."

Harry looked down at the table in front of him until he could get his face schooled back into an expressionless mask. He felt like laughing at their choice of words. 'Dislike' was not quite the word he would have chosen. It sounded too polite. 'Loathed' or 'despised' were closer to the mark in Harry's opinion, but then again the loathing was mutual.

"Mr. Boet, since your client is the one bringing the charges, you may begin." Madame Bones told him.

"Thank you, Madame Bones." Mr. Boet stood and called, "Mr. Talisin Nighbert, would you please take the witness seat?"

An ancient balding wizard who looked even older than Dumbledore came up and sat in the heavy wooden chair.

"Please tell us you occupation and current place of employment, Mr. Nighbert?" Mr. Boet requested.

"I am a Master Occlumens." Mr. Nighbert told them. "For the past twenty years, I have been training Unspeakables in the arts of Occlumency and Legilmency."

"Mr Nighbert, I would like to place a hypothetical student before you. This student must be trained quickly so that he/she can protect their thoughts from a dark wizard, but has had no training in the mind arts. How would you begin to teach this student?" Mr. Boet wanted to know.

Nighbert was silent for several minutes before he answered. "Even though there seems to be some urgency in teaching this student, they would need a solid grounding before they can begin to master Occlumency. I would give him or her basic books on meditation and Occlumency so that he/she is able to understand the goals of the lessons.

At the same time I would start teaching this student how to meditate and calm their thoughts. If a student can't learn to calm their minds then they will fail at Occlumency. It is not something everyone is capable of learning because it requires a great deal of focus, at least at first. Once a student is able to keep their minds calm, I would start teaching them how to protect their thoughts."

"And how do you teach them to do this?" Boet inquired.

"The techniques I use will vary from student to student." Nighbert told the assembled group. "Those with poor visualizations skills, I would teach how to build layered mental shields similar to domes. For those who are very good at visualization, I teach them how to hide what they don't want found, how to set traps or deflect Legilimens probes away from those thoughts. Once they have mastered that aspect of Occlumency, then I teach them to drive the invading mind out."

"Would there ever be a time when you would, oh say," Mr Boet paused as if looking for the right words, "stand a student of yours in the middle of the room on their first lesson and just say 'clear your mind' before repeatedly firing the Legilimens curse at them?"

"Of course not!" Nighbert seemed shocked at the very idea. "That wouldn't teach anyone how to protect their minds. In fact that would have the opposite effect on the student. Repeated exposure to the Legilimens Curse, without knowing how to rebuild the barriers in your mind could easily erode what natural barriers the mind does have, making it easier for someone to get in. It would also prove very painful for the person on the receiving end of the curse."

"Could permanent damage be done?" Madame Bones wanted to know.

"I don't know." Nighbert told her honestly. "It's not exactly something you would want to experiment with, just to find out. Knowing what I know about how the curse works, I know that the brain will react as if injured if repeatedly exposed to the Legilimens Curse. The person on the receiving end of the curse will at the very least experience very severe migraine headaches."