3بخش

Terrible. Lost a lot of Galleons trading on the potions market.

Daily Prophet, ladies and gentlemen. Anybody for Daily Prophet?

Dumbledore Is he daft, or is he dangerous?

Morning, Arthur. Morning, Bob.

Interdepartmental memos.

We used to use owls. Mess was unbelievable.

Merlin’s beard. Thank you, Kingsley.

They’ve changed the time of your hearing. When is it?

In five minutes.

Department of Mysteries.

And I’m confident, minister, that you will do the right thing.

Yes, but we must be…

Remember, during the hearing, speak only when you’re spoken to.

Keep calm. You’ve done nothing wrong.

As the Muggles say, truth will out.

Yes?

I’m not allowed in, I’m afraid.

Good luck, Harry.

Disciplinary hearing of the 12th of August…

…into offenses committed by Harry James Potter…

…resident at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

Interrogators Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Mag…

Witness for the defense.

Albus Percival Wulfric…

…Brian Dumbledore.

You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you? I must have missed it.

But by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early.

The charges?

The charges against the accused are as follows

That he did knowingly and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions…

…produce a Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle.

Do you deny producing said Patronus? No, but…

And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of 17? Yes, I was, but…

Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot…

I was only doing it because of the Dementors.

Dementors?

In Little Whinging?

That’s quite clever.

Muggles can’t see Dementors, can they, boy?

Highly convenient. I’m not lying.

There were two of them, and if I hadn’t… Enough.

I’m sorry to interrupt what I’m sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story…

…but since you can produce no witnesses of the event…

Pardon me, minister, but as it happens, we can.

Please describe the attack.

What did they look like?

Well, one of them was very large and the other rather skinny.

Not the boys, The Dementors.

Oh, right, right. Well, big.

Cloaked. Then everything went cold…

…as though all the happiness had gone from the world.

Now, look here. Dementors don’t just wander into a Muggle suburb…

…and happen across a wizard. The odds are astronomical.

I don’t think anyone would believe…

…the Dementors were there by coincidence, minister.

I’m sure I must have misunderstood you, professor.

Dementors are, after all, under the control of the Ministry of Magic.

And it’s so silly of me, but it sounded for a moment as though…

…you were suggesting that the Ministry had ordered the attack on this boy.

That would be disturbing indeed, Madam Undersecretary…

…which is why I’m sure the Ministry will be mounting a full-scale inquiry…

…into why the two Dementors were so very far from Azkaban…

…and why they mounted an attack without authorization.

Of course, there is someone…

…who might be behind the attack.

Cornelius, I implore you to see reason.

The evidence that the Dark Lord has returned is incontrovertible.

He is not back.

In the matter of Harry Potter…

…the law clearly states…

…that magic may be used before Muggles in life-threatening situations.

Laws can be changed if necessary, Dumbledore.

Clearly. Has it become practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic?

Those in favor of conviction?

Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?

Cleared of all charges.

Professor.

Padfoot. Are you barking mad?

You’ll blow the entire operation.

Sirius, what are you doing here? If somebody sees you…

I had to see you off, didn’t I?

What’s life without a little risk?

I don’t wanna see you get chucked back in Azkaban.

Don’t worry about me.

Anyway, I wanted you to have this.

Original Order of the Phoenix.

Marlene McKinnon.

She was killed two weeks after this was taken.

Voldemort wiped out her entire family.

Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Neville’s parents.

They suffered a fate worse than death, you ask me.

It’s been 14 years.

And still a day doesn’t go by I don’t miss your dad.

Do you really think there’s going to be a war, Sirius?

It feels like it did before.

You keep it.

Anyway, I suppose you’re the young ones now.