The days of hanging out at Hogwarts

After entering the door and turning right, there were already some people sitting at the back of the room, and they seemed to be here to listen. Mr. Weasley took Hermione to sit down in the auditorium, and Hermione could see the whole courtroom clearly.

The deep circular darkroom is like a hemisphere with an upward cross-section, divided into three parts. The outer circle is a row of seats that gradually rise. The center of the depression is the lowest place in the room, where a chair is placed. , there are iron chains on the left and right on the handrail.

Everyone can have an unobstructed view of the subject's seat.

In the front of the room stood a square dark wooden table. Behind the table stood Umbridge, the Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic, wearing a black robe of a judge and a square judge's hat on her head. It looks much more pleasing to the eye than the pink suit.

On both sides of her, there were some Ministry of Magic staff dressed similarly to him. Hermione guessed they were record keepers and the like. It's just that their table isn't as grand as Umbridge's. There were about thirty people around, wearing purple robes with a delicate silver "W" embroidered on the left chest.

"Those people are members of the Wizengamot." Arthur lowered his voice and introduced, "According to the procedure, there should be fifty people from the Wizengamot participating in the trial, and Dumbledore is also one of them. But the trial Willie Widdershin doesn't need that many people."

Silence filled the courtroom, and everyone spoke in whispers, until a man with bandaged hands walked to the chair in the center of the room and sat down.

All those who were whispering stopped in unison, and an ominous silence enveloped the entire courtroom.

"The defendant is here, let's get started!" Umbridge's voice was still high-pitched, like an annoying girl. She asked a recorder next to her, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am." A cold male voice said.

The room was so dark that the record-keeper's face was half obscured by shadows, and Hermione could only see the outline of the horn-rimmed glasses on the man's face.

"The trial on March 27," Umbridge's harsh voice echoed in the courtroom, "the trial of Willie Widdershin's violation of the International Statute of Secrecy."

"Interrogator: Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic: Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..."

The next series of official titles and names went in through Hermione's left ear and out of her right ear. Hermione only noticed that this Umbridge's middle name was the same as hers, and the little witch's full name was Hermione Jane Granger.

She was ashamed of this and planned to discuss changing her middle name with her parents when she went back during the holidays.

Umbridge finished reading a long list of nonsense, pulled out a piece of parchment from the pile of documents in front of her, and read aloud: "The defendant is accused of the following crimes: The defendant has previously received a written warning from the Ministry of Magic for similar accusations. Again, fully aware that his actions were illegal, he deliberately and knowingly replaced a normal toilet in the bathroom at a large Muggle supermarket at noon on March 20th. This behavior violated the International Wizarding Rules Federation Confidentiality Act..."

Arthur explained to Hermione in a low voice: "He is a habitual criminal, an anti-Muggle prankster who has committed similar crimes before."

"Then why hasn't he been tried before?" Hermione asked quietly, her eyes carefully observing Willie Widdershin in the dock.

"That's right, he used to just hide in the toilet and use the floating spell to throw excrement..."

Arthur paused for a moment, "Anyway, he didn't cause so much trouble or cause serious consequences, so no one would hold on to his affairs."

"...The evidence is conclusive. According to the "Wizengamot Charter of Rights" and the International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Law, Willy Widdershin is sentenced to a six-month ban on leaving the wizard's residence, a three-month ban on engaging in alchemy-related industries, and a ban on Five years of contact with Muggles, a fine of 300 gold galleons..."

"If you agree with the accusation, please raise your hands..."

"If you agree that the accusation is unfounded, please raise your hands..."

"Now, I declare that the charges against Willie Widdershin are established!"

The trial went much faster than Hermione imagined. Those in front of the trial quickly packed up their documents, picked up their briefcases and left. Willy Widdershin was taken away by two Ministry of Magic employees. The courtroom became empty in the blink of an eye.

"Is this the end?" Hermione looked at Arthur doubtfully.

Arthur was a little angry: "The sentence is too light. It shouldn't be like this. He doesn't even have to go to Azkaban!"

"Isn't it like this in the past?"

"Not at all. Because of this incident, many people from the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters were sent to the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, the Memory Cancellation Command, and the Muggle Issues Mediation Committee were dispatched. According to past management, he will have to stay in Azkaban for at least a year! "

"Then why is this happening this time?"

Arthur punched the armrest angrily: "It must be because the presiding judge is this guy Umbridge. She deliberately ignored the most critical "Muggle Protection Act" and didn't even mention it in court!"

"The people who came to the Wizengamot today were arranged. Most of them are people who don't understand the specific sentencing. They just want the charges to be established, plus Umbridge's inducement..."

Arthur sighed. What happened today made him feel very embarrassed when it happened in front of the little witch. He was embarrassed by the people of the Ministry of Magic, and even more embarrassed by the wizards.

"It's all Umbridge's fault. She has gone too far since she took office. Fudge trusts her."

Hearing Mr. Weasley's words, some strange thoughts rippled through Hermione's heart.

The once inscrutable Ministry of Magic was completely unveiled before her. Apart from the magical side of mysteries, justice... human rights... in the Department of Mysteries, the system of the wizarding government was even simpler than she had imagined.

Countless unspeakable thoughts turned into a seed, buried deeply in Hermione's heart, and even she herself was not aware of it...

Hermione didn't know how to comfort Mr. Weasley, so she said instead: "Mr. Weasley, should we go meet Principal Dumbledore?"

"Oh, rendezvous, yes rendezvous." Arthur took a breath hastily, gathered his mood, and took Hermione out of the seventh trial room and walked upstairs.

Going up to the ninth floor underground, they saw Dumbledore waiting outside the door of the Department of Mysteries. There was no sign of Mad-Eye Moody, and he seemed to have left.

Seeing them, Dumbledore stopped looking at the elevator gate, put the Derby hat twirling on his head back on his head, and asked, "How was the trial?"

"Don't mention this!" Arthur's voice was filled with hatred. "Umbridge didn't mention the Muggle Protection Act at all. The other judges didn't know that a poor Muggle's butt was bitten into seven pieces. Willy... Widdershin doesn’t even have to spend a day in Azkaban!”

Dumbledore nodded, lowered his head and looked at Hermione: "Have you gained anything from listening to a wizard trial, Hermione?"

Legal loopholes…discretion…

A lot of things flashed through Hermione's mind at once, and she couldn't seem to find the end of what she wanted to say. She didn't know where to start. She nodded, then shook her head.

Dumbledore seemed to smile but said nothing.

The elevator appeared with a clatter, and a group of people stepped into the elevator and went up the shaft.

Without the threat of Mad-Eye, when they returned to the eighth floor underground, where the main hall was, there were strangers going up and down the elevator again, and neither Dumbledore nor Hermione spoke anymore.

For a moment, there was only a cold woman's voice in the elevator: "The seventh floor, Department of Magical Sports, including the British and Irish Quidditch League headquarters, the official Gobstone Club and the Office of Funny Products Patent."

"The sixth floor is the Department of Magical Transportation, including the Floo Network Administration, the Broomstick Management and Control Bureau, the Portkey Office and the Apparition Testing Center."

Apparition?

Hermione's eyes changed and she glanced outside curiously.

Just then, several paper planes flew into the elevator, flying slowly around the heads of several people. The light purple paper was stamped with the stamp of "Ministry of Magic."

Arthur explained patiently: "That was a note for transmitting messages between departments. Owls were used before, but the mess was incredible... there was feces everywhere on the desk."

Arthur suddenly remembered something and looked at Hermione enthusiastically: "I heard that you Muggles have a fax machine that can send letters to other places through electricity. Do you know how to do it? Can you tell me about it? Tell me!"

Hermione leaned closer to Dumbledore: "It's not an electric current, it's a signal. It's similar to the principle of a telephone. But I don't know the specific content."

"I really want to see it, it's more magical than magic!"

Mr. Weasley seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness just now, and was immersed in the surprise brought by Muggle creations.

Hermione hesitated for a moment, but ended up not telling him about the email and printer, which would have made the explanation more complicated.

The elevator continued to go up, and the cold female voice continued to announce.

"The fifth floor, the International Magical Cooperation Department, includes the International Magical Trade Standards Association, the International Magical Law Office and the British Chapter of the International Federation of Wizards."

"The fourth floor, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, includes the Office of Beasts, Aliens and Ghosts, the Goblin Liaison Office and the Pest Advisory Office."

"The third level, the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, includes the team for reversing accidental magical events, the memory cancellation command and the Muggle Issues Mediation Committee."

"Let's go, the information we are looking for is on this floor." Dumbledore led Hermione out of the elevator.

Arthur was a little slow before he woke up from his fantasy of the fax machine and hurriedly followed. He glanced back and saw that the note planes were still spinning around the lamp.

"This is a note from the Department of Transportation. Only the Legal Enforcement Department and the Minister's Office are left on it. It must be information sent to the Legal Enforcement Department." Arthur said thoughtfully.

His expression immediately turned angry again: "The efficiency is very fast this time, it must be Umbridge's special instruction."

Dumbledore and Hermione both looked at him questioningly.

"It's about Willy Widdershin. They just announced restrictions on his range of activities, and the Transportation Department's document adjusting his floo network was sent to the Legal Enforcement Department. Umbridge wants to close the case quickly, she..." Arthur pursed his lips and did not say any more unbearable guesses.

The sentence was too light, the case was concluded too quickly, and Umbridge deliberately favored the defendant. It is difficult not to think of these things together as a power transaction.

"Forget it, let's not talk about it." Arthur shook his head to get rid of all the messy things. "Dumbledore said you want to see Peter Pettigrew's information back then, so come with me."

Hermione looked up sharply at Mr. Weasley and then at Dumbledore. She seemed to understand something for a moment, and her face turned pale.

Arthur led them down a corridor with doors on both sides. Different from the darkness and silence on the lower floors, this floor had windows that let out bright sunlight, and there were many people coming and going.

"Back then, the followers of the mysterious man were looking for revenge on Peter Pettigrew, because they knew that their master accepted Peter's suggestion to attack the Potter family." Arthur sighed quietly, and his mood became a little depressed.

"Black was also after him, and when Peter Pettigrew was trapped on a crowded street corner, he used his wand to create an explosion and cut off one of his right fingers to escape."

"That incident caused a big fuss. A whole street of Muggles witnessed that scene with their own eyes. Twelve Muggles died on the spot. At that time, Barty Crouch and Cornelius M. Fudge leads the team to deal with this matter."

Hermione felt that her heart was slowly freezing, and all the warmth in her body was flowing there along with her blood, bringing out more coldness.

Those bright sunlight coming through the windows looked lifeless.

"Almost everyone in the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters is dispatched, the accidental time reversal team, and the memory cancellation headquarters——"

They turned a corner and came to a heavy double oak door with a sign above it: Archives.

Pushing open the door, Mr. Weasley said in a deep voice:

"Especially the Muggle Mediation Committee. In order to cover up the disaster, they negotiated with the Muggle government for half a month, and finally issued a notice with a series of traffic accidents and gas leaks."

The archives are as huge as a library, and there is an oxidized, old smell coming from the piles of old papers.

Thanks to the maintenance of magic, there was no smell of mold or insects, but Hermione's breathing suddenly became sluggish and difficult as she faced this room. It was as if all the water in the black lake poured into her body from the top of her head, gurgling, and then condensed into a cold hard block, weighing her down so that she could not move forward and did not dare to enter the archives room.

Dumbledore patted Hermione's shoulder and took her hand. The old man's warm palm made Hermione feel a little better.

She heard Dumbledore say softly to Mr. Weasley: "We are not going in. Arthur, could you please take out all the information from that year? We want to find a place where no one will disturb us to read the information."

Mr. Weasley seemed to scratch his head: "Of course, those materials have been there for many years, and no one looked at them when Peter Pettigrew was arrested. Wait for a while, and I will take you to my office. There is no People are disturbing.”

He turned around and strode into the archives room, and came out a few minutes later...

Hermione followed them upstairs with a sort of cold sadness into a dark and shabby office.

In the narrow space, those filing cabinets filled with paper, car advertisements, and hand-drawn engine drawings all looked blurry and dim. All sounds and images were separated from Hermione by the same barrier as the ice. She was underwater and those things were on the ice.

When Dumbledore placed a piece of paper in the file in front of her, a train-like roar suddenly sounded in the dim room. The words on it were like Gryffindor's sword, splitting the ice with earth-shattering force, and engulfed the girl's body. The frozen ice shattered into pieces.

List of victims:

…Emilia Morgan, Orlando Morgan…