FicWad

Chapter 37 - Surprises From The Dock

Dimension: 563 - Earth
Date: 14th August 2001 AD
Country: London
Location: The High Court
Time: Morning

In the main entrance of the Courtrooms a head poked its way around the edge of the ladies toilets.

Looking left and right it turned and whispered something back into the room.

Moment's later four people emerged unnoticed; the first was a tall gentleman whose black hair and slightly darker skin tone suggested that he was originally from warmer climes; the second was a lady who was several inches shorter than the man who was presumably her husband, she had curly red hair and brown eyes which were both reflected in the third member of the group who looked like a younger version of the lady. The last member of the group was a boy who looked to be around sixteen years of age; he had scruffy black hair, green eyes, a lightning shaped scar on his forehead and looked decidedly nervous, even with the younger lady hanging on his arm.

The group quickly went through the formality of signing in and headed of to where they had been told their courtroom was.

They had been asked to wait outside until they were called for evidence as they had been very prompt in their arrival.

They watched as many people entered the courtroom, Harry recognised several of the residents of Pivet Drive and the surrounding area most of whom either nodded, winked, smiled or wished him luck as they passed.

A couple of people he didn't recognise including a man dressed awkwardly, which was a pretty good guarantee that he was a wizard, and a lady with chestnut coloured hair wearing a slightly mismatched business suit and skirt, Harry smiled in comprehension as she passed though she did not look in his direction.

They had a brief discussion with the Barrister for the Prosecution who he had been told was named Lex when he arrived, Dimitri had employed him personally because he was well regarded as the best Wizarding lawyer with Muggle knowledge that money could buy.

He explained the way that the trial would play out, he told them that Harry would be the 1st witness, then Dimitri and Delphine going by the names of Frank and Jackie Winters would present their slightly altered evidence about how Harry came to be in their care, then Adam was going to present speak, following that a Gringotts human representative would present some evidence that the lawyer thought it best not to reveal to Harry until he was being question in favour of a realistic reaction when he was told, Harry didn't like the sound of this much but as it would assist in sending the Dursley's down and as they had given a good reason not for telling him he agreed, the barrister then asked Harry to give April (Fleur) his wand just encase his reaction to that particular bit of evidence was a bit strong, there were already magic dampeners around the courtroom but pulling out a wand even one that had been dampened would cause problems.

After he left they saw the lawyer for the defence enter, then Vernon was escorted in, Vernon sent Harry a confident smile which Harry returned while wondering what the defence was going to try and do.

Shortly after that Petunia and Dudley walked into sight, they had both apparently been released on bail, according to Harry's lawyer Vernon had volunteered to stay incarcerated so as not to stretch their faltering bank balance....Yeah right, it was probably just to make them look poorer and to make Vernon appear like more of a victim. No sooner had Petunia seen Harry than she headed straight for him.

Harry turned his head slightly and mouthed 'Do nothing' to the Delacour elders who both nodded before Dimitri sent a look in the direction of the assistant barrister for the Crown who along with two other barristers from other cases moved into hearing range.

April protectively gripped Harry's arm tighter while he tried to calm her by sending comforting words back along their link.

"How can you do this to us!" starter Petunia as soon as she reached him "After all we have done for you. Taking you into our home, feeding you, giving you Dudley's second bedroom and then you go and do a thing like this, you ungrateful child!"

"Ungrateful!" exclaimed April, unable to control herself "You locked him in a cupboard for eleven years, he got 2nd hand clothes and you forced him to do all your housework while you whale of a son got two bedrooms, the best clothes you could buy and enough presents for over two dozen children!"

Petunia looked taken back at April's bluntness but quickly recovered.

"How DARE you talk to me that way you insolent girl....we didn't have to take the freak into our house, we didn't have to spend our already tight bank balance on him....he's a waste of space who belongs on the streets!"

With that she turned and walked into the courtroom.

"How dare you do this to dad!" threatened Dudley as he came to stand in front of Harry "You will pay for this, dad always wins, he's got the best lawyers in the country working for him, you don't stand a chance, your wand won't save you now!"

Harry jumped on Dudley's mistake, manipulating the wording to suit his meaning.

"I don't need to try to bribe for a guilty verdict Dudley, I will win because you and your mother and father are guilty, and I don't know what your sexual preferences are but I don't swing that way."

Dudley turned puce "Why you little." Dudley's fist collided hard with Harry's head sending him tumbling back into the Delacour's.

Dudley tried to throw himself at Harry but Dimitri's body and the security guards that had very rapidly responded to the situation prevented him.

"I'll get you for this Potter, I'll get you!" he yelled as he was dragged of to the cells.

"What is going on," said Petunia as she emerged from the court to investigate the noise "Dudder's!" she cried as she saw her son being taken away.

Her attention turned to Harry and advanced on him.

"What did you do to my son!" she screamed rising an arm to strike him across the face.

She brought her arm down forcefully across Harry's face, a large crack echoed around the hall as her hand made contact with his face.

It took less than a second for more security guards to arrest her and lead her of after her son.

As soon as they were out of site Harry let out a very quiet.

"Ouch."

Bringing his hand to the place where Petunia's hand had hit.

"Are you alright Harry?" asked April, moving in front of him to get a look at the damage.

His left cheek was bright red from the slap but luckily that was all, the results from Dudley's punch were another thing all together, Harry's nose was beginning to bleed and the bridge of his nose was very rapidly turning a very nice shade of purple.

"I'll live." he nodded briefly touching his nose and deciding not to try that again instead bringing a tissue to his nose.

"Are you ok Mr Potter?" asked their barrister as he reached them, the other two remained where they were so as not to compromise the evidence they had just witnessed by talking to the prosecution "That looked like a mighty hard punch."

"I've had worse this summer, though I must admit I never thought Petunia would have such an arm on her."

Just a few minutes later they were called in and the trial started, Harry and the barrister were seated in the Prosecution benches, April was seated just being in the public seat, Dimitri, Delphine and a late arriving Adam were not allowed in court at the same time as they were giving evidence.

On the opposing side of the court room the Defence barrister was sitting alone looking decidedly in need of a drink, thinking he was going to have an easy case and then discovering that two of your three clients have just been rearrested for assaulting the prosecution tended to drive you in the direction of an industrial sized headache.

Vernon on the other hand was looking on from the dock; his expressions kept changing from one of confusion as he searched the courtroom for his wife and child who both technically should have been in the dock with him, to an evil and very confident grin whenever he looked in the direction of Harry....what had he got planned?

In short order the judge (named Ordinis) entered and began the trial, they all seated themselves as he began.

"According to my notes we should have three defendants, I can only see one, where are the others?"

"Your Honour," began the Court Room Clerk "They were rearrested just ten minutes ago for assaulting the prosecution."

Harry saw Vernon flinch, trying very hard not to call out.

The judge turned to Harry's barrister.

"I am guessing you wish to use this as evidence of a guilty verdict."

"Yes my Lord." replied Lex "I shall be calling two extra witnesses who are fellow barristers and including additional testimony from my client and his current guardians, with your leave of course Your Honour."

The charges against the defendants were then read out; they ranged from child neglect, to assault and battery.

The judge gave Barrister Lex the go ahead to begin the case for the crown, Lex called Harry as his first witness and after being sworn in he began questioning.

"Mr Potter, can you give us a brief history of your life with the Dursley's, starting from how you came to be with them?"

"Well, I came to the Dursley's when I was one, my parents had so I was told been killed in a car crash, since then I have lived with the Dursley's except when at school and this last summer."

"Could you describe your room to us please?"

"Well for the first eleven years of my life I lived in the cupboard under the stairs," gasps could be heard from the public seats "After that, for some reason I never figured out, they allowed me to live in Dudley's second bedroom, though it was just as well as my school trunk would have made the cupboard very cramped."

"His second." questioned Lex, Harry could tell this man was smart, he was drawing on all the things that the Dursley's would not want the court to hear "He had two?"

"Yes, he had one which he slept in and another for all the toys and other stuff he had, though he never actually went into to it as far as I can remember, I was merely allowed to reside in his room as it was always referred to as his."

"What was the room like?"

"Well it was square; there was a wardrobe a bookcase and a bed, all falling to bits."

"What about the decorating?"

"The paint was pealing from the walls, there wasn't a carpet, just splintering floorboards."

"And the rest of the house was like this as well, presumably due to the Dursley's weak financial situation."

"No, the rest of the house was immaculate, mainly because I spent all my time keeping it that way."

"Your Honour I submit evidence packs A1 to D3 showing picture comparisons between Mr Dursley's Second Bedroom and the rest of the house including the cupboard under the stairs, Mr Potter can you tell us about how you cleaned and the other sort of jobs you did?"

"Well I did the vacuuming, dusting, polishing, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the lounge, the bedrooms, I painted and wallpapered, I scrubbed the floors, did the dishes, cooked breakfast every morning and sometimes lunch and dinner as well, then moving outside there was the patio and wall which I built, the lawn which I mowed, the flowerbeds that I planted and won the Dursley's several competitions of which I got no credit, the fences which I painted, the hedges that I trimmed, then there is the guttering, the roof tiles...."

"Thank you Mr Potter, I think we have got the idea, how much pocket money did you get for doing so many jobs?"

"Pocket money?" asked Harry trying his hardest not to burst out laughing though the struggle was evident on his face "I never got any pocket money, the Dursley's forced me to do all the work as payment for taking me in out of 'the goodness of their hearts', allowing me to eat a few of the leftovers from meals and being allowed to wear my cousins old and worn clothes which were all five sizes too big."

"Did they never buy you your own clothes?"

Harry thought for a second before replying.

"Twice, when I started Infant and Primary School, I remember they were most put out at the time even though they only brought me second hand uniforms."

"Going back a question, how much of the work did your cousin or your aunt and uncle do around the house and how much pocket money did your cousin get?"

"My cousin got twenty pounds every week and he did absolutely no house work, he found the very though of it degrading, as for my....'guardians'....they also did very little, my aunt did do most of the dinners and lunches if they were cooked but other than that none at all."

"None at all," said the Barrister turning to the court "We have heard how not only did the Dursley's mistreat and abuse their guardianship over Mr Potter, they also turned him into a slave, but it gets worse," he turned back to Harry "Can you tell the court about the time when you broke your arm?"

"Well the incident occurred before I attended Secondary School, Dudley hit me with a fire poker, I can't recall a reason for him to do so, I think he did it because he enjoyed it...."

"Objection Your Honour." called the Defence Barrister

"Overruled, he is entitled to his opinion, continue Mr Potter."

"Yes Your Honour, after my arm was broken the Dursley's refused to take me to hospital for over a week, my bone started to heal wrongly, they had to undo what had already healed before it could start to heal properly and they still made me to the housework even though I was injured and wearing a cast."

"Objection," cried the Defence again "This was over six years ago, the prosecution can not prove any of this."

"We have Mr Potter's medical records and written testimony from the Doctor's that treated him."

The barrister for the Defence sighed and sat back down.

"Objection withdrawn."

"Mr Potter, did the Dursley's do you any other kind of physical or psychological damage?"

"Well, during my entire time they always called me a freak, even more so since I went to Boarding School, they accused me of bringing my freakish ways into there house....actually, now I think of it....I don't think they ever called me by my name while I lived there, they just called me 'Boy' or 'Freak'."

"What about physical damage."

"Well, other than being hit by Dudley with the fire poker, I have been hit several times with frying pans by my Uncle as well as being 'accidentally' tripped, not to mention the amount of times that Dudley and his gang have beaten me up."

"Objection your Honour," tried the Defence again "The Prosecution can not prove this."

"Your Honour," countered Lex "Can I make the court aware of the separate prosecutions being pressed by no less than thirteen other families of Little Winging against Dudley Dursley and three other juveniles, while I am sure the Prosecution will remind me that the trial is not yet over I have managed to obtain duplicates of the photo evidence, witness testimonies and lie detector test results, all of which state that Dudley Dursley is the leader of said gang and he along with one other is the main perpetrator of the injuries sustained by child victims all of whom are younger and physically weaker than Dudley Dursley, including one female victim who was no more than ten years of age."

The amount of quite chatter coming from the public seating was increasing, Harry could tell they were firmly on his side, and from some of the looks on the faces on the jury, so were they.

"Now as I previously stated, that trial is not yet concluded but I will just point out that the victims who have come forward, not including the prosecuting thirteen, number eight, making no less than twenty one victims, not including those families that have more than one victim in them and accompanying them are ten witness testimonies by unaffected persons."

Harry had a quick look at the Defence barrister, the look on his face almost made Harry feel sorry for him.

"Evidence packs D4 through K5," finished Harry's barrister before turning back to Harry "Please continue Mr Potter, what about this summer?"

"This summer was the worst, no sooner had I put my trunk down my Uncle and Dudley attacked me."

"What did they do to you?"

"They spent what must have been at least an hour punching, kicking, beating and burning me."

"What did they do when they had finished?"

"They locked the door and left me in my room for the next five days with no food or water until I managed to escape."

"But that was not all was it Mr Potter?"

"No, I also started coming down with flu."

That was a little bit of a lie, but if he had told them that he had come to the point of death with the flu he wouldn't have been able to get up or escape, which was what the Delacour's were going to tell the court.

"When they went out one evening I managed to unlock the door by reaching through the cat flap that they used to feed me and get to the phone to contact the people I am currently staying with, I managed to reach the door and open it before I collapsed against the door frame, my friends came and found me where I had passed out. They got me into their car and collected my school trunk, from there I was taken back to their house and my injuries were treated and thanks to the speed at which my current host contacted a Doctor I am still here and am now almost fully recovered except for the scarring, burns and my healing arm and skull."

"Thank you Mr Potter, now can you explain to us what happened outside the courtroom earlier."

"Well, I was waiting outside when Petunia and Dudley came up to us and started shouting at me for bringing them here, saying how ungrateful I was to them for the way they had treated me, then Petunia walked into the court and Dudley started threatening me, saying how I had no chance of winning and then he said that 'my wand wouldn't save me', I interpreted that as him suggesting that I would try to bribe Your Honour or the Jury by offering myself err....myself.... myself sexually, to which I said that we would win because Vernon was guilty and that I didn't know about Dudley but I was not in the habit of having err....of being err....intimate....with other men."

"What did he do then?"

"He punched me to the ground, luckily security stopped him doing more, but no sooner had that happened when Petunia came back out looking for Dudley, she saw him being dragged away and automatically assumed it was me, she came up to me and slapped me before she too was taken by security."

"Thank you Mr. Potter, no more questions at this time Your Honour, though I reserve the right to recall this witness after additional testimony has been provided by other witnesses."

"Understood," nodded Judge Ordinis "Defence, your witness."

"Thank you Your Honour," nodded the Defence barrister getting to his feet "Mr Potter, or may I call you Harry?"

"Harry is fine."

"Thank you. Harry, the photographic evidence submitted by the prosecution stated that you had received a broken arm, a cracked skull, burns to your right arm and hand and multiple heavy bruises, now with the exception of the bruises none of those injuries would have healed in the three weeks between the incident and today, and yet you show no signs of any of these injuries or any of the medical treatment required to heal them, can you account for that?"

Harry forced himself not to smile, they had expected that question. He shrugged off his jacket and undid the buttons of his shirt sleeve, rolling it up a thin cast was revealed, he then held up the palm of his other hand to reveal the damaged skin from the lamp burns.

"I requested that the doctor who was treating me only gave me a thin cast so I could wear my suit over the top of it and having it engulfing my hand would have been almost impossible to put the suit on, as the break was clean he agreed....reluctantly, the same applies to my burned hand. The cracked skull did not require bandaging."

Harry visibly saw the barrister deflate; he got the feeling that the barrister knew that he had just set the tone for this line of questioning.

"Fair enough, can you tell the court a little about what happened on your eleventh birthday?"

Oh that's clever /Thought Harry, /He's trying to trick me into saying something about magic.

"Well, that was when I first got my letter about Hogwarts,"

"Hogwarts is the school you attend?"

"Yes, it's a private very exclusive boarding school; my entry was so I was told part of a legacy scholarship my parents left me."

"I see, can you tell us how you learned about your scholarship and your school?"

"Well, first a letter came for me in the post, which in itself was very unusual, my relatives refused to let me read it and threw it in the fire, more letters came and they burnt those as well."

"We don't need to hear about that Harry just how you learnt about the school."

"Objection," called Lex "The Defence asks a question and then only wants the pieces that suit their case."

"Sustained," agreed the judge "You asked a question, you must let the witness answer it freely."

"Yes Your Honour," sighed the Defence before turning back to Harry "Please continue."

"Well this kept happening, until we got multiple letters a day, but every time I tried to read one my uncle would tear it away from me. He eventually took all of us to this little house that was only accessible by boat, but apparently Hogwarts is very serious about its pupils and if they don't get replies from letters they actually send someone to find out what has happened, a member of the schools staff, a very large man named Hagrid who is the site manager and grounds man, as well as the Animal Biology Professor found out where we had gone and rowed out after us. He told me about the school, that both my parents had gone there and that they had set it up so that I could go there as well."

"Then what happened?" asked the Defence Barrister

"Well Vernon refused to let me go and actually threatened Hagrid with a gun, I don't think he is even allowed to own a gun, but Hagrid didn't give up and I left with him. He took me shopping for all the books and equipment I would need, my parents I discovered had left some money for me in a bank account that they had not told the Dursley's about in fear that they would try to claim the money for themselves, from there he took me to the station and I took the train to School."

"So what you are saying is that your Uncle tried to defend you against a possibly hostile enemy, even risking going to prison by being in the possession of an unlicensed gun and he did it entirely in your interests."

"No," countered Harry "What I am saying is; not only did he threaten the man who came to offer me a once in a life time opportunity, but he did so with an unlicensed gun and allowed me to leave with a stranger who, although he turned out to be who he said he was, could potentially have been dangerous."

Further mumblings were heard from the public, the Defence Barrister wasn't doing too well and he knew it.

"Harry, is there anything unusual about your school?"

"I'm not sure I follow?" Harry replied, thinking he new were this was heading, they hadn't planned on this, he would have to think on his feet.

"Well for example; what do they teach you?"

"I not quite sure I see what you are getting at, if you mean what lessons do I take then I would say that they are pretty ordinary with a couple of slightly my unusual classes but nothing overly strange."

"Can you give us an example?" pressed the Barrister.

"Well they teach; history, plant biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy. Then a couple of odd ones like Ancient Languages and wildlife appreciation and care, though given the state of the environment that last one seems rather relevant."

"Your Honour," called Lex "What does this line of inquiry have to do with my client and his guardians."

"Sustained, I can not see the relevance in this line of questioning Defence, please come to the point or terminate this line of questioning."

"Yes Your Honour, no further questions at this time."

/Nicely done Arry /said Fleur in his head.

"Defence, have you any further questions?"

"No you honour but I will tell the court now that one of my witnesses is a Professor at Hogwarts whom I will ask to confirm all that my client has just said as well as giving a quick summary of Mr Potter's behaviour and hard working attitude at school."

A professor! But who....oh, of course Adam, that's what he wanted to talk to Lex about before the trial.

"Please step down Mr Potter." said the Judge.

Harry was then escorted out of the courtroom.

He waited there for about an hour as the Dursley's were interrogated, then Adam and the Delacour's were called to give evidence and then finally the Gringotts representative.

The Courtroom Clerk called him back in at he resumed his previous position.

Looking around he got the feeling that something important was about to be revealed; Vernon, Petunia and Dudley (who had obviously been released) were looking nervously at him from the dock, as was their barrister from the benches, looking over to the public seats he could also see the slightly worried look on Fleur's face.

"Mr Potter, your parent's bank has uncovered some interesting facts that we believe you are not aware of that your guardians should have told you."

"....Yes" said Harry slowly.

"The first matter relates directly to your treatment at their hands. Earlier you told the court that you did virtually all the house work while the rest of the family did close to nothing, and that your cousin got a two rooms, pocket money and expensive clothes while you just got hand-me-downs and a dirty old room."

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Are you aware of any monetary agreements regarding your parents and the Dursley's?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well it turns out that there were several arrangements that were made in the unlikely event that you ended up with you current 'guardians'."

Anger began to build inside Harry as he realised what he was being told.

"Are....are you saying that...they got....PAID....to look after me?"

"Yes Mr Potter, I am. Every month your parent's bank gave the Dursley's £500 for your keep, an additional £100 a month for clothing and other needs and a cash lump some of £1000 every new school year to buy you the equipment and school uniform you would need."

Harry was almost fuming; his anger was on the verge of breaking out.

"So all that time they were claiming that they were struggling to feed me, all those times they said that they were using up precious incoming to have me living there and that they were doing it out of the 'goodness of their hearts' they were in fact spending an extra what....SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS a year on themselves!"

"Yes, that is correct, until you started school then they got £8,200 a year, less than £100 of which I would guess you actually got."

Harry was glaring daggers at the dock; if the Dursley's had looked up he would have burnt out their optic nerves.

"But it gets worse Mr Potter." continued Lex carefully, very aware of how angry Harry had got "Your parents bank has also been looking through your parents estate and it appears that the Dursley's do not own the house they currently live in....you do."

"WHAT!!" Harry roared, spinning on the Dursley's "Vernon, you are the greediest, fattest, most worthless man I have ever had the misfortune to know!!!"

"Mr. Potter control yourself!" ordered the judge reclaiming his gavel from where it had fallen on the floor after the shock of Harry's reaction "I will forgive that outburst as I think I would probably have done the same but please control yourself in future."

Harry closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, while Fleur sent calming thoughts down the link.

"My apologies Your Honour."

The judge nodded before motioning for Lex to continue

"You have just heard how the Dursley's not only used the massive amount of £110,800 for their own benefit while Mr Potter got barely anything, but they also did so in his own house, a house which I will add had electricity and water paid for out of Mr Potter's account and which they haven't paid rent on since his parents died."

If there had been any disagreement at all from the public or the jury that the Dursley's were innocent, there most certainly wasn't now.

"That completes the case for the Prosecution Your Honour, no further witnesses."

"Defence, have you anything further to add to your case?" asked the judge.

"No Your Honour," sighed the Barrister, defeated "The Defence rests."

"Court is adjourned to allow the jury to reach a verdict." said the judge standing up.

"All rise." Called the Courtroom Clerk as the judge left his seat followed by everyone else.

Harry stepped down and went over to the Prosecution benches, where April and her parents greeted him.

"You did wonderfully Harry," smiled April as she hugged him "There is no way that they can wriggle there way out of this."

"I agree Mr Potter," smiled Lex "All in all this has been one of the easiest court battles I have ever participated in."

"Maybe," Harry smiled cautiously "But I personally wont believe it until I here the words guilty attached to their names."
________________________________________________________________________

It didn't take the jury very long to reach a verdict, they all re-entered the Court and sat at the Prosecution benches while the jury spokesman stood.

"Members of the jury," began the Clerk "On the charges of assault and slander, how do you find the Defendant Dudley Dursley?"

April squeezed Harry's hand tightly; if anything she seemed more nervous than him.

"Guilty."

A tiny smile crept onto Harry's lips

"On the charges of child neglect, child abuse and slander, how do you find the Defendant Petunia Dursley?"

"Guilty."

The smile grew from a line into an excited expression.

"And on the charges of child neglect, child abuse and slander, how do you find the Defendant Vernon Dursley?"

"Guilty."

There were many sounds of cheers coming from the public seats.

"Were the verdicts unanimous?" finished the Clerk.

"They were."

Everyone's attention turned to the judge for sentencing.

"Dudley Dursley, for your crimes you shall receive three and a half years in a Juvenile Detention Centre, along with eighty hours community service and six months of therapy, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, you shall each receive twenty five years imprisonment for your crimes, as well as being forced to pay back all the money that you were given by the Potters over the years as well as paying the rent for that period to Mr Potter. As I am certain that this will mean you are unable to pay your property shall be given to Mr Potter in payment."

The sentencing had obviously pushed Vernon just that tiniest bit to far as he finally decided to let the bomb of a yelling he had been building explode.

"No! You can't do this to us, he's a freak, him and all his over wizard people, he's tricked you, he's cast a spell on you of something, we're innocent I tell you, innocent!"

The courtroom was utterly silent when Vernon finished, it had taken him less than ten seconds for him to loose whatever credibility he had had and as he realised it his face turned white as a sheet. He had just shouted to the world what he had been trying to hide for fifteen years.

"Take the prisoners down." ordered the judge, breaking the silence before turning to Harry "Mr Potter, I hope your life only gets better from this point on."

"As do I." he smiled back.

"All rise." Came the order as Judge Ordinis left the court.

As the court began to empty

April hugged him tightly as the courtroom began to empty.

"You did it Harry, you did it, your free."

"Yes," he smiled "Yes I am."

He could not quite believing what had just happened, but he didn't have much time to think about it as almost the entire population of the public benches came forward to congratulate and thank him for getting rid of the Dursley's once and for all.

After what seemed like an eternity the last person left the courtroom allowing the group to leave, Harry thanked Lex repeatedly before finally heading out, the Barrister was still amazed that the trial only took one day as he was expecting at least a week, one day trials were virtually unheard of.

When they finally went out into the hall outside the courtroom it was almost deserted, most of the public having left already, they began heading back towards their portkey point when Harry spotted the chestnut haired lady he had seen at the beginning of the trial leaning against the wall, reading a newspaper, as he past her he came to a stop the other turned to look at him curiously.

Not looking at the woman Harry smiled and said.

"Next time Tonks you might want to come up with a better disguise."

She turned to him looking shocked.

"How did you know it was me?" she demanded.

"Four things; firstly that sort of blouse does not require a tie, secondly anyone wearing a skirt that short is definitely going to be more flirty and will not normally hang around in courtrooms, thirdly not many women in business suits eat sweats that they have stored in their pockets, especially not the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes variety and lastly your newspaper is upside down." He finished with a grin.

Tonks looked at her newspaper before grinding her teeth at herself "Oh bbbbbbottle tops."

"Very restrained of you Tonks, better luck next time." he smiled "Does Dumbledore know you are here?"

"The Order does, I was watching the Dursley's encase you or you hosts came back," she said glancing at the disguised forms of Dimitri and Delphine "I overheard a couple of your neighbours talking about your relatives being in court today for child abuse, I sent a message Patronus back to Headquarters, I didn't have time to send more messages as court was about to begin and the courtrooms are protected by Magic Prevention Wards."

"I know that is why my hosts held onto my wand, to make sure I didn't make myself look like an idiot and try to cast a spell."

Remembering that she still had his wand April pulled his wand out of her top and handed it back to him.

"Goodbye Tonks." He finished before turning and beginning to walk off, but he stopped after about two steps and turning back to her "Oh and I trust you know that I am not going with you back to Dumbledore."

"Harry, you must, for your own safety." She pleaded.

"Do you really want to try to force me Tonks; after all, it is one versus four."

Tonks observed the others all slowly moving their hands to their pockets.

"You can't do magic Harry, you will be expelled if you do!"

"No I wont, I am sixteen, which means I can cast spells freely, the only think I would get in trouble for would be doing magic in front of Muggles, but as an Auror I am sure you know a few good memory spells."

"But its not safe Harry, you haven't even finished Hogwarts yet, how are we supposed to protect you if we don't know where you are?"

"Other than our dear Headmaster I am the only person to have fought Voldemort and lived, in fact I have done so more often the Dumbledore has, at my count it is up to six times now, he has only faced him twice and on one of those occasions I had already virtually defeated him."

"When was that?" asked Tonks puzzled, it annoyed Harry that even Aurors flinched at Voldemort's name.

"My first year at Hogwarts, Voldemort was inhabiting the body of the DADA professor and was trying to steal the Philosophers Stone, I faced him and luckily survived until Dumbledore arrived."

"I didn't know that." Said Tonks amazed.

"I get the feeling there are quite a few things about my life the Headmaster hasn't told anyone, but I am not surprised, after all, I didn't even know how my parents had really died or that Magic even existed until I started Hogwarts, and lets not forget the fact that he left me with the Dursley's all those years, I wonder if he actually knew of the treatment I underwent. All he wants is to use me as a pawn in his game of chess."

Tonks looked at him stunned, obviously rethinking her opinion of the Headmaster

"And going back to the point of my defence, I think it is fairly obvious that I can handle myself; I have duelled Death Eaters, faced Trolls, Acromantula's, Basilisks, Dragons, fought off attacks by dozens of Dementors and managed to duel Voldemort and live....you lot can't even hear Voldemort's name without flinching....yeah like that."

"We only wants to protect you Harry, how can we do that if we can't even find you?"

"The fact that you can't find him indicates that he is already a lot safer than he was formerly." replied Adam as he exited the courtroom with Lex.

"But....but...."

"But what Miss Tonks, how do you plan to convince Harry to come back with you?"

Tonks looked at each of the group in turn before sighing and returning her gaze to Harry.

"Don't get hurt."

Harry smiled and continued on towards their destination with the others following on behind.

Tonks shook her head and began walking towards the Main Entrance.

"Dumbledore's gonna kill me."