Chapter 194: "Me as a Prisoner in Azkaban"
After Dumbledore spoke, everyone fell silent, listening as the old man read the trial details:
"Trial on June 7th. Case of Gilderoy Lockhart, charged with plotting to steal other wizards' experiences and intentionally harming others."
As soon as Dumbledore finished reading the charges, Lockhart shouted, "I never intentionally harmed anyone!"
In the days he'd spent in prison, Lockhart had recovered from the shock of being exposed. He'd reflected on his mastery of Memory Charms, considered what had happened to the two missing wizards, and concluded that he might still be able to save himself.
So he decided to sacrifice the lesser charges to protect himself from the more serious ones, admitting only to the minor offenses. That way, even if found guilty, he would probably face no real punishment.
"Quiet!" Dumbledore's tone was stern.
But Lockhart couldn't have cared less. He kept shouting, "I received the Order of Merlin, Third Class! I'm with the Dark Force Defence League..."
Before he could finish, a bright light shot down from above. Lockhart's mouth kept opening and closing, but no sound came out.
"Thank you, Crouch." Dumbledore thanked the stern wizard beside him quietly, then continued introducing those presiding over the trial.
"Interrogators: Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; ...
"Court Scribe: Arnold Peasegood."
Dumbledore's name was really long.
Because it was a formal occasion, everyone was addressed by their full name. This was also the first time Ethan and the others had heard Dumbledore's full name.
"So did we," they murmured to each other. Dumbledore continued reading from the parchment.
"Now charging the defendant, Gilderoy Lockhart, with the following crimes:
"Theft and intentional injury.
"The criminal facts are as follows: In 1987..."
There were many criminal charges against Lockhart, seven counts in all. But aside from the testimonies of Vartan Ohajian and Fiona Finnerty, which were quite detailed, the others were relatively vague. After all, those victims hadn't recovered their memories yet. This was all the information Dumbledore had managed to collect.
Ten minutes later, Dumbledore finished reading through the accusations written across a thick stack of parchment.
Dumbledore looked up from the parchment, staring at Lockhart, who had lowered his head, and asked, "Gilderoy Lockhart, how do you plead?"
Lockhart opened and closed his mouth without speaking, so Dumbledore turned to Crouch and said, "Crouch, please lift his Silencing Charm."
"I plead not guilty! These things you're accusing me of. Is there any evidence?" Now able to speak, Lockhart seemed to regain some confidence. There were accusations he was certain didn't apply to him, so he gambled that Dumbledore had no concrete proof.
"Is that so? Very well. Witnesses, please step forward." Dumbledore knew that some of the evidence he'd collected was flawed, so he didn't argue the point and simply called for the witnesses to take the stand.
"I am Fiona Finnerty. I am the witch whose encounter with the Bandon Banshee was stolen by Lockhart..."
"I am Vartan Ohajian. From Armenia..."
Dumbledore let Finnerty speak first because her memory had recovered more completely, which could undermine Lockhart's confidence.
Events proved Dumbledore right.
The color that had returned to Lockhart's face drained away as the witch spoke.
As Ohajian spoke, Lockhart went completely pale.
But Lockhart still found a few loopholes in Ohajian's words.
So he shouted, "What Ohajian said is wrong. Things are not as he described!"
"Oh? So you're admitting Finnerty's accusations have merit?" Dumbledore's eyes were sharp.
"No, not at all. She's wrong too. Bring forward your evidence if you have any." Lockhart was becoming more convinced of his own logic with every word.
"Is that so? Then tell me, how did you banish the Banshee? What spell did you use? What was the incantation?" Dumbledore smiled.
"I... I..." Lockhart hemmed and hawed, unable to explain himself.
"You don't even know the spell to banish banshees. So how did you manage to banish one? We've also found people who were afflicted by a banshee and interviewed them. We have considerable evidence. Would you like to see it?"
"I-I..." Lockhart was tongue-tied, unable to say another word.
Dumbledore turned to Fudge, Crouch, and Bones. "The facts are quite clear. Lockhart did indeed steal Finnerty's memories and cast a powerful Memory Charm on her. This can be verified through St. Mungo's Hospital. The charge stands."
Crouch and Bones nodded in agreement, but Fudge hesitated.
"Dumbledore, what if I told you that what Lockhart said might be true? That it wasn't him after all? Just an unfortunate coincidence?"
"This is no mere coincidence. It is a crime," Dumbledore said bluntly.
Crouch added, "Minister, the Irish Ministry of Magic and the Armenian Ministry of Magic have both sent letters confirming that Lockhart was responsible for these actions. They're demanding severe punishment for the criminal. Otherwise, they'll take this to the International Confederation of Wizards."
"Ah, well, very well then." Fudge couldn't afford an international scandal erupting under his watch. But being exposed by two foreign ministries for harboring a criminal was even worse.
"Now then, regarding the criminal acts against Vartan Ohajian, do you admit to them or not?"
"I admit nothing!" Lockhart still clung to the hope that he might escape, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"In the Finnerty case, he has already confessed. That proves everything I've said is true. But refuting his lies one by one like this is too tedious. I move that we use Veritaserum," Dumbledore said to Fudge.
"Well..." Fudge hesitated. The use of Veritaserum was strictly regulated. He didn't want to escalate the matter any further. He just wanted to settle things before the pressure from both countries mounted.
But under Dumbledore's gaze, Fudge finally gritted his teeth. "Alright. I approve. Suspend the trial. Have someone fetch the Veritaserum."
Hearing this, Lockhart panicked. If Veritaserum were actually used, his whole strategy of admitting to minor crimes while denying the major ones would fall apart completely.
Seeing Fudge's hesitation, he hurriedly shouted, "I plead guilty! I plead guilty! I admit everything I did to Vartan Ohajian!"
He understood the difference: confessing to crimes against two victims versus facing punishment for seven, which would carry a far heavier sentence.
Fudge was overjoyed to hear Lockhart plead guilty. He could see it too. Lockhart had done exactly as Dumbledore claimed. But Fudge had no desire to push the matter further. Having two foreign wizards as victims was already trouble enough.
"He confessed. How about we skip the Veritaserum?"
Although Dumbledore still wanted to continue the interrogation, Fudge just wanted to end things there.
So after a brief discussion, both sides reached a compromise.
Dumbledore would not pursue charges for Lockhart's crimes against the remaining victims. Fudge would increase the penalty for the crimes Lockhart had admitted to.
"Gilderoy Lockhart. Using dishonorable means, stealing others' experiences, and causing harm to others.
"Guilty of intentional injury, theft, and conspiracy to undermine friendly relations within the wizarding world."
Penalty as follows:
"First, revoke the Order of Merlin, Third Class;
"Second, snap his wand;
"Third, sentence him to ten years' imprisonment in Azkaban."
Dumbledore held a freshly written parchment and read out the sentence agreed upon after deliberation.
"Those in favor of conviction, raise your hands." Hands went up one by one.
"Those in favor of acquittal, raise your hands." No one raised a hand. Several young female Wizengamot members simply looked at Lockhart with what seemed like regret.
"Very well. The conviction stands."
The vote was clear at a glance. No one opposed.
Having already achieved his goal, Dumbledore was content to let the Minister for Magic assert his authority. "Fudge, the rest is yours to announce."
"Wait, is this over? What about the testimonies we prepared, accusing Lockhart of his crimes? We just sat through a trial?" Harry and Enid stared in shock.
Although they knew they were merely corroborating evidence, the gravity of the trial had led them to carefully organize the facts about Lockhart's "persecution" of them, planning to lay it all out before the Wizengamot members.
But they hadn't expected this. They had simply sat to the side, listening to both sides argue for more than half an hour before the trial ended.
"Not fast enough, if you ask me. Didn't expect Professor Lockhart to confess so readily. I wanted to see the effects of Veritaserum firsthand." Ethan was genuinely disappointed.
Veritaserum was a potion he knew how to make but had never attempted. The preparation time was simply too long, an entire month. And it was strictly regulated. He had never brewed it before, nor seen it used on anyone.
Another reason Ethan had wanted to watch Lockhart take Veritaserum was to test something. He wondered if it could help him recall Vartan's complex spell. He was certain Lockhart knew it. Ethan just couldn't remember it himself.
*We'll need Dumbledore to find a way to extract Lockhart's memory strands. Then we can retrieve the spell through a Pensieve.*
*Except Lockhart probably won't cooperate, right? We'll still need the old man to figure something out.*
Ethan moved closer to Ohajian and whispered the idea to him. The old wizard's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. He was clearly intrigued by the plan.
There were several victims. After hearing the sentence, his mood improved and he relaxed.
But Lockhart was in despair. Though sentenced to ten years in Azkaban, surviving that long was another matter entirely.
Two Aurors escorted Lockhart back in. They had to support him as he shook like a leaf, his body limp, barely shuffling along as they led him out.
Once through the door, they would take Lockhart to Azkaban.
"Tsk, tsk. He was just saying he wanted to write a book called 'My Year as a Hogwarts Professor.' Now there's no way that book's getting published," Harry gloated a little.
He knew, now that he thought about it, that the book would have featured him heavily, all to showcase Lockhart's "greatness."
"That book's out of the question. But he can still write a book called 'Me as a Prisoner in Azkaban.' I haven't seen anything like that yet. It would definitely be a bestseller once it's published."
Their conversation wasn't particularly loud, but it wasn't exactly a whisper either. The Aurors hadn't left yet, and they heard everything.
"Pfft!" One of the Aurors burst out laughing.
The pale-faced Lockhart heard it too. He slowly turned his head, his lifeless eyes fixed on Ethan and the others.
Harry and Enid were startled. They didn't dare meet his gaze.
Ethan wasn't afraid of him though. He met Lockhart's gaze without flinching, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"What are you looking at? Let's go."
The Auror holding Lockhart's left arm muttered under his breath and gave him a slight tug as he continued to drag him out the door.
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