~Ashley Carter
I stood with my wife in a waiting area at the Ministry for Magic. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement (I believe that is what it was called). The halls were blue, only warmed by the periodic orange glow of torches. I was feeling under the weather, but I wanted to be there. I was asked to speak on Eleanor's behalf. Since part of her hearing was focused on whether she was safe to be around Muggles, I was the best choice when it came to proving her case. Sarah Beth would also speak on her behalf.
Sarah Beth was also under the weather. Her aunt had been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against Muggles just the week before. She was being sentenced to the Wizards' prison, Azkaban, for life. This meant that neither of us would see her again. Sarah Beth had explained to me that visitors outside of Aurors or the Minister were absolutely prohibited since a family of Ministry officials smuggled out their son back in the 1990s. Sarah Beth did not even get to say goodbye. She cried for the first time in the three weeks since we were married. "I know that she was terrible. I experienced it firsthand for years." she explained from a tear-stained pillow. "But she was the only member of my family I had. After her, there are no Umbridges or Cumberlands left. I was the last one."
In the following days, I had been rehearsing and re-rehearsing my statement for the Wizengamot on and off, with occasional visits from the Malfoys. Sarah Beth urged me to practice even more after she heard which judges would be presiding over the case.
"Harbing and Frey? They wouldn't!" Sarah Beth sighed as she pours a fourth packet of sugar into her tea. It was early morning at the Brew, and we had not yet opened. Light was sifting through the blinds of the shop window.
Eleanor Malfoy rocked in her chair, her hands shaking. They looked like that of a much weaker woman than she. "They'd might as well just take me now. They're going to arrest me. They're going to send me off..."
"They're not going to send you off, Elle." Sarah Beth placed her hand on her friend's. "Those two are bullies. They're just trying to scare you."
"If that's the case, it's working." Eleanor pulls her hand away. Sarah Beth took a quick breath.
"Your hand is frozen! I'm going to pour you some tea."
Elle shoots Sarah Beth a look of refusal, but blinks and sits back. "Th- thank you. Sarah Beth."
"Any time. Breakfast tea?"
"Darjeeling, please. Nothing to eat, though, please. I wouldn't be able to keep it down." Draco sat next to his wife, his arm around her chair but not actually touching her. He was deep in thought. "Of all the Wizengamot, they choose the two I had hoped would stay far away from it..."
I had stopped pacing. "Who are Harbing and Frey?"
Sarah Beth finished pouring her friend's tea and began to let it steep. "Hogelby Harbing and Kepburn Frey are senior members of the Wizengamot. Very conservative. Very... harsh judges after the war."
"Harsh?"
Eleanor looked at me. "Miriam Langstrom was an inkeeper who was forced to turn her business into one of the largest headquarters for Death Eaters in... his army. So many of them came through her inn that she was unable to give any names that the Ministry wasn't already aware of. Therefore, she had no real defense. Hogelby Harbing sent her to Azkaban. She never even took the Mark! Kepburn Frey didn't send quite as many people to Azkaban, but he did send several people on hearsay. People that never killed anybody were sent to the worst prison in the Wizarding world."
"But you have a defense, don't you? You have me, and you didn't even attack Dinkleberry with magic."
"But they don't like me. I never faced a trial after the War, and that angered some of them."
"So they can't judge you for something you weren't convicted for."
Sarah Beth placed Eleanor's tea in front of her. "These two don't listen to protocol. I, er, may have called one of them out on during a presentation while I was studying Wizard Law. Just saying."
Draco finally spoke. "What I don't understand is why you just won't plead insanity."
"I've improved too much since the 90s. It's a fool's wager to try that." Eleanor started twisting her hair in her fingers after taking a sip. Her hand tugged at her hair until Draco had to pull it away. She looked embarrassed. "Sorry."
I went back to staring at the window and the tiny slivers of light in the dim room. I was brought back to the present by Sarah Beth's hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her. She wore a fitted, magenta dress with a little emerald brooch. There was a sense of "otherworldliness" to her appearance that separated me from her. I wore a more mundane suit (the same one from our previous trial), navy blue and white. I was a dull, sore thumb in the midst of much brighter hues. That is, with the exception of Eleanor Malfoy, who wore something more akin to a funeral garb. Whether this was a sign of defeatism or just plain habit was unknown to me. Her husband and father-in-law each wore a green cloak with a silver chain. Narcissa Malfoy stood with Eleanor, fussing over her dress. Another woman, dark-haired and very stoic, wore a white suit with a red neckerchief. She spoke to Eleanor very calmly. Another man stood with the woman, a curly-haired, blond man even more colorful than the others. He wore a bright, pink plaid cardigan. His brown pants were normal enough, but he wore red and white All Stars. The casual clothes were certainly more pedestrian than the other clothes in the group, but that did not necessarily make it more "normal," per se.
Sarah Beth walked me over to them. "Ashley, you should meet Eleanor's nurse, Healer Fuchs. Healer Fuchs, Ashley Carter."
The woman smiled tiredly. Her face was lined, not from age, but rather some amount of stress. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter."
"I- it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Fu...oooks?"
She chuckled. "It's 'Fooks', and I am Healer Fuchs, not Mrs. This colorful fellow here is Chase Gravely. Another patient of mine."
"Another patient?" I asked.
"Kleptomaniac," she replied. "Mind your watch. And your wallet. And your keys. And your Muggle electronics."
The man, Chase, chuckled and chimed in: "And your glasses. I've gotten good at that, too."
"What, is he like Apollo Robbins or something?" I asked him, amused. Admittedly, I also touched my glasses out of unease.
"Don't know who that is. Anyway, I'm here to help my good friend Ellie. Not for souvenirs. Besiiides, if I did take anything, I would give it back."
A witch walked into the corridor and waved to us. "We will be starting soon."
I could hear Eleanor take a breath, tensing up. I didn't look back at her lest I make her more nervous. She had not taken much medication that day, if any, at the request of the judges for her not to be under any influence. Sarah Beth whispered to me, "Just be calm, and be careful with your words."
I had sure been hearing a lot of "be careful" that week. I'd already been through an insane trial with the shop. I didn't want to sound too big-headed, but I wasn't worried.
---
Let me rephrase that. I wasn't worried until the thing began. The two Wizengamot guys came in wearing plum robes. Both looked as old as time itself, and just as unforgiving. Harbing had a tiny button of a nose, but a round face with thin wisps of white hair that formed no beard in particular. Frey had a large nose that curved outward. He wore thick, golden spectacles and sported a mustache that hung below his chin. His horsey, yellow front teeth were always showing. He was the first to speak.
"Eleanor Snape-Malfoy... you face the Wizengamot in regards to allegations of assault on a Muggle and assault on a Muggle via the use of magic. Your verdict will be reached after discussion between Mr. Harbing and myself, which shall occur after presentation of your case along with answering of questions related to this incident. Now, you may begin with your defense if you should like."
Eleanor looked to Draco before nervously standing up. "I... I- I... I need to- to use the restroom."
"The trial has-" Frey started to say, but Eleanor immediately started walking out of the room, much to the judges' chagrin. "Someone go with her!"
Sarah Beth shot up and followed her. They both left for about a minute before returning. Sarah Beth had her hand on Eleanor's shoulder. Sarah Beth walked to the front of the room and clasped her hands together.
"I'm making a request to speak on Mrs. Malfoy's behalf." Sarah Beth looked back and smiled softly. "Since she has been asked to remain off her anxiety potions for the sake of this hearing, that makes her eligible for a proper attorney."
Frey narrowed his eyes. "An attorney? And what qualifications do you possess in order to speak for the accused, exactly?"
"Mr. Frey, you know as well as I do that I do not need special qualifications to represent someone in a trial. Besides, I have received Wizarding Law training in the past. In fact, I have sat in seminars led by your colleague here. Isn't that correct, Mr. Harbing?"
Harbing huffed at her. "This is true. Proceed, Mrs. Carter, if you must."
Sarah Beth grinned wider. "Thank you. I call Healer Helga Fuchs to speak."
---
Healer Fuchs sat in a chair about ten meters away from the Wizengamot seats. She sat calmly and coolly, not at all nervous about her statement.
"Healer Fuchs, what position do you hold at St. Mungo's psychological ward?"
"I am Assistant Head Healer of the ward, second in authority to Healer Jason Phillips."
"And you act as a nurse for Eleanor Malfoy, correct?"
"That is correct."
"For how long have you worked with her?
"Approximately a decade."
"So you consider yourself very familiar with your patient and her behavior?"
"Yes."
Sarah Beth paced slowly, making sure her every word was heard clearly. Every important detail was emphasized.
"How often and for how long do you see Mrs. Malfoy to monitor her?"
"As of 2005, I see her three days a week for about two hours. This includes house visits and trips out of her home. She visits St. Mungo's ward for a monthly assessment of her mental health."
"Okay, and during this time out of the Malfoy Manor, have you ever seen her interact violently with a Muggle or any other individual?"
"Eleanor... has had some altercations in the home and at the hospital, but she has not been physically violent with anyone outside of there."
Sarah Beth paused. "And verbally?"
"She has had vocal arguments with people over the years, but I reiterate that she has not been publicly violent."
"Lastly, what conditions has Mrs. Malfoy been diagnosed with?"
"Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. All are coupled with episodes of various levels of anxiety."
"Thank you, Healer Fuchs. Does the Wizengamot wish to question her?"
Without confirmation, Harbing began, "Helga Fuchs, you stated that Eleanor Malfoy has had physically violent outbursts?"
"Yes, but those were domestic disputes between her and her husband, and minute incidents at the hospital. Said incidents do not concern this case, however."
"Do you consider Eleanor to be a violent person?"
"Not inherently."
"But she has physically harmed before?"
"Not in the pertinent case."
"And were you with Mrs. Malfoy at the time of the alleged assault?"
Fuchs furrowed her brow. "No. I was at the Hospital."
"You are permitted to go."
I stared, taken aback by the questions that had nothing to do with the case. Why wasn't Sarah Beth doing anything? Why wasn't she objecting? That was madness! I looked at Chase and asked him about this.
"Objections don't exist in Wizarding Law. It's too fair."
---
Chase's examination went pretty okay. Sarah Beth brought up Chase's paternal Muggle ancestry and his interactions with her. It was pretty cut and dry, but his cross-examination was where things got interesting.
Frey eyed Chase and pointed to him. "So, Chase Gravely. You did say you have known Eleanor Malfoy for more than a decade?"
"Yes sir." Chase stared at nothing in particular, which made Frey a bit agitated.
"Throughout the decade, has she ever been violent toward you or any other patients, like Helga Fuchs stated?"
Chase appeared to be puzzled. "Who?"
"Helga Fuchs."
"Never heard of her."
"I do not like to be toyed with, Mr. Gravely."
"Now, I have heard of Healer Fuchs... and what she said earlier about being violent is absolutely correct. Eleanor has had a violent history at the hospital."
"So you acknowledge that Eleanor Snape has an innately violent personality?"
"Well, not innately... she just knows how to retaliate."
"Do you care to elaborate?"
Chase sat up. "Oh, where do I start? Let's see... there was that time that William played that awful joke on her with the toilet water. She blackened my eye after I made an off-color joke about... well, I don't want to stir up old demons. Anyway, none of that's important. What's important is you have a girl who has not used any sort of magic to harm people since the Wizarding War. Yes, she has been violent, but I have never - and I mean never - seen her do something without a real reason."
"Regardless, this proves that we have precedence for deeming her unstable and unsafe. Thank you, Mr. Gravely."
As he stood up, he crossed his arms. "It also proves that you're willing to listen to someone that's just as crazy as her."
"Sit down, Mr. Gravely." Chase did so. "We will now enter a five minute recess."
---
Sarah Beth sat next to me after reassuring Elle. She sighed, but continued smiling.
I leaned to her. "You seem pretty positive about this case."
"I'm not, Ashley."
"You're not?"
"Eleanor is going to lose. We can clear her of attacking him with magic, but she definitely attacked him. Yes, it was with coffee, but that doesn't matter. She's going to have to face punishment. Your job is to try to make it as... lenient as possible."
"I... okay."
This whole thing was on me now? If I was nervous before, now it was so much worse. I didn't want to be the reason for this woman to have to go to prison or something!
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Just follow along with me. We're going to be honest, and we're going to beat them to the incriminating stuff. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of pointing all that out."
"Follow along with you... got it." I looked over at Eleanor. Her eyes had sunken more and more and she looked as if she were holding back heavy breathing. I knew that I had very little to do with these people, but I knew that I had to help them any way that I could.
---
Sitting at the stand was a whole different experience. You felt small when Wizengamot was literally looking down on you. You looked up and you could see them just, like, judging you. I almost felt like I was the one being convicted here. Sarah Beth, though, made it a bit easier.
But not much.
"Mr. Carter, how do you know Eleanor Malfoy?" She paced back and forth, speaking to me like she barely knew me. In an odd way, she sounded a bit like her aunt.
"I met her through you about maybe a year ago."
"And in the time that you have known her, have you seen her exhibit any type of violent behavior with Muggles?"
Besides the incident with Mr. Dinkleberry, had she? I decided to start from the very beginning, back to that day that I met her in my house...
What was that she said to me?
"Don't you tell me to calm down, you filthy git! I'll smash your head open if I have to, so don't you try anything funny. I swear on Merlin, I will! YOU HEAR ME?!"
I took a deep breath. "Only the incident with Torvald Dinkleberry."
Sarah Beth widened her eyes. "Are you certain of this, Mr. Carter?"
We locked eyes. She held her breath for a moment.
"Yes. I am certain."
She looked back at the judges and hesitated before continuing. "In what manner did Mrs. Malfoy attack the Muggle in question?"
"She poured coffee on him."
"And did this result in any grievous injury to him?"
"No. It was just coffee."
"Excellent. Mr. Carter, as a Muggle, do you feel that Eleanor Malfoy is safe to be around Muggles such as yourself?"
"Yes." I actually do feel this way. She may have had a lot going on mentally, but she was not dangerous. I actually felt pretty happy about my answer.
"Thank you, Mr. Carter. Do the judges have any questions?"
Mr. Frey leaned forward. "Only one. Mr. Carter, what is Torvald Dinkleberry's condition now?"
Oh. He's dead.
"Oh. He's dead. BUT it's not because of her, no. He had a heart attack about a month later while screaming in a courtroom."
I wonder what happened to that incriminating question, Sarah Beth?
"Thank you, Mr. Carter. We will have one final ten minute recess while Mr. Harbing and I decide the final ruling.
---
It was finally time for the results. I honestly did not know what to expect. Eleanor did not attack Dinkleberry with magic, and I daresay pouring coffee on him was barely an attack. It seemed a bit weird for a professional judge to rule someone guilty of attacking someone when their method of attack was that, right?
Right?
Harbing and Frey sat down and shuffled some parchment. Harbing spoke agonizingly slowly:
"Eleanor Malfoy... come to the stand."
She swallowed and looked at her husband. "May I- er, be accompanied-"
"You may. Please... come to the stand."
The two of them walked up. Neither sat down. The room was still, as if no one dared take a breath.
"Eleanor Malfoy, you have been found innocent of assault on a Muggle via the use of magic."
Eleanor could have cried. She gasped while her husband hugged her tight. This was good.
"However, on charges of assaulting a Muggle through non-magic means, you have been found... guilty."
Eleanor could have cried. She gasped while her husband hugged her tight. This was bad.
"Your punishment for this crime will be a fine of 5,000 Galleons. Your fine is expected to be paid within the next year. Court is dismissed."
Elle turned around and walked back to the group. The Malfoys looked relieved. Sarah Beth patted her friend's shoulder. Healer Fuchs and Chase were smiling at her. I had never seen Eleanor so relieved. I suppose that since the Malfoys had enough money, this was not much of a dent to them.
Eleanor Malfoy walked up to me. She looked at me without necessarily meeting eyes with me. "Ashley, I just want to, er, thank you. I..."
And then she stopped. She looked at her family to let them know she was ready to leave. And they did. It was a simple thank you, but I knew that that was just her way of saying it. Soon, it was just Sarah Beth and me in that courtroom.
"Ash, you did really well."
"Thanks." I said.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... Sarah Beth, I've never heard you talk that way. You sounded really... really..."
"Like my auntie. I know."
"Yeah..."
"That's why I didn't want to work for the Ministry."
"Why not, though? You're a really powerful speaker. And you're nothing like her."
"Ash... my auntie was obsessed with doing a good job. When her job required her to do bad things, she did bad things. Working at the Ministry does bad things to good people. I'm just fine being in the Muggle world with my Muggle job with my Muggle husband." She smiled at me. I smiled back.
"Speaking of him, how about we get out of here?"
"Yes. Let's."
I gave her my arm, and we walked out of the courtroom together.