The Cupboard Series 2: Hermione's Book Nook

Chapter 15

A single sharp rap of the gavel was all that it took to quiet the hundreds of people.

Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, studiously avoided fiddling with the thick files piled neatly to one side of the small desk in front of her. Instead, she used the opportunity to peer around the large, tiered circular court room.

A hundred and one seats, situated across the lower three tiers, ringed the clear stone area set aside for the accused. Nearly every seat was filled with the Head of either an Ancient House, a Noble House or by the holder of an Order of Merlin, first class. Of the seats that were missing their Head, either due to the heir being too young or for some other reason, she held hopes that one, at least, would be filled by the end of the day.

Above the three tiers reserved for the Wizengamot, rose a further five tiers, all set aside for the public. To her left, on the lowest of those tiers, congregated the press contingent. She frowned as she noticed the slight pushing and shoving that was going on as each one tried to find the best position to both see and hear the coming proceedings.

"This session of the Wizengamot will come to order," the Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore intoned.

Dumbledore was seated in the largest, grandest gilded chair in the room. Amelia, as was her right as both the Head of the DMLE and the Chief Prosecutor, sat to his immediate right. On his other side, green bowler hat placed precisely in the centre of his own desk, sat the portly figure of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"We are here today for the trial of one Peter Oliver Pettigrew," Dumbledore continued. "Aurors, bring in the accused!"

Amelia watched as a short, pudgy, balding man was led through the far door by three maroon robed men. Two of her aurors kept their wands trained on Pettigrew as they led him across the stone floor. At the last second, Pettigrew seemed to baulk and, with a massive shake of his head, tried to back away from the wooden chair. It seemed to sense his reluctance for the chains that adorned its sides and legs rattled ominously.

A pair of hands, one from each auror, shoved the small man in the shoulder blades. Pettigrew squawked as he stumbled forward before being jerked backwards into the chair. Immediately, the chains slithered around both arms, across his chest and wrapped around his legs.

Meanwhile, the third auror had magically sealed the door that they'd entered through before conjuring a two foot high circular wall around the accused chair. Amelia nodded in approval as she inspected the wall. It was perfectly slick and topped with multitudes of razor-sharp metal points.

Shifting her eyes to Pettigrew, Amelia studied him closely. Sweat dripped off of the sides of his face, just like it did every time that she'd questioned him over the past two weeks. He was swallowing hard and continuously. His beady eyes flickered around the room before widening as they came to rest on one particular spot. Seeing him begin to shiver in fright, even more than usual, Amelia turned in her seat.

It only took her a few minutes before she saw what had captured Pettigrew's attention. A thin man with ginger hair starting to go grey sat in the highest tier. His intent eyes were fixated on Pettigrew. He wore old, threadbare brown robes. Her eyes flicked to the bare seats to either side of him and she made a mental note to find out his identity later.

"Peter Oliver Pettigrew, you stand accused of betraying the location of and indirectly causing the deaths of James Charlus Potter and Lily Evans Potter, of passing sensitive information to the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort, of being a member of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, of the deliberate murder of twelve muggles and of being an unregistered animagus," Chief Warlock Dumbledore stated.