Last time:

Though he would never admit it, Harry had awoken his long dead heart. He had made his snarky Potions Master care.

The trial of Dolores Jane Umbridge was held at twelve o'clock on the first Saturday of the semester. Those trying her were Professors Sprout, Flitwick, Burbage, Sinistra and Vector for the teachers. For the Society were the elder Animagus Derrik (America), Lukas (German), Aleta (Spain), Anfisa (Russian) and Jahi (Egyptian). In the middle was Amelia Bones acting as tie-breaker as well as overseeing the Trial as a ministry official.

Harry was seated with Selene, Ivy and Tari, as well as his own Bond-mate Draco. His friends, as well as the entirety of the fifth year were seated on the other side of the Dining Hall. The students who were not subject to the memory and information exchange that Harry and Draco shared had been made to swear an oath of silence on their magic. It was the only way that the Slytherin fifth years had been allowed in, as no one, not even their beloved Head of House, wanted those whose families were under the thumb of one Tom Riddle to have the opportunity or need to spread the news to him, or the papers what this trial was about. If they had, it would have been a miserable time for all concerned, including the Slytherins though they didn’t know it at the time.

Fudge was seated with the Teachers up front, his face grim. He knew better than most that the defense attorney, while forced to argue against the evidence that proved Dolores guilty, had no love for either her or the Ministry. The attorney had even made clear to Cornelius that, once the trial was over, he was retiring from the lawyer business. He had made enough money with other, more respectable clients, to do so, and he wanted to spend time away from the dirty business of politics. That included looking for love, a thing which the attorney (one Robert by name) hated Fudge for ruining for him.

So it was no surprise then, what with all the evidence and the reluctance of Robert, that Fudge quite suspected that this would be little better than a kangaroo trial. He wondered somewhat, if this trial was to be punishment for his trying to railroad the boy without a scrap of true evidence. It certainly seemed that way, though the truth was likely more to the fact that it was punishment for him trusting in a woman like Dolores. Prejudiced people were starting to become the minority these days, and a few brave souls were even beginning to speak out against the unjust werewolf laws. Souls that had no connection to a werewolf, besides a feeling of sympathy for the suppressed.

Harry and Draco only listened with half an ear, standing and sitting when necessary. Most of their concentration was on each other; Harry was trying to sooth Draco’s ruffled feathers, and Draco was trying to convince Harry that he really needed to get help when he needed it more often than he did. They barely noticed when the small bit of evidence that the defense provided was shot down by the prosecution’s evidence. They did, however, notice when the judges entered Harry’s memories of those accursed detentions.

Harry truly had no need to fear that the Toad’s word would be taken over his. Abuse was a serious crime, in any society, and the SoNA defended its own. So it was no surprise to Selene when the judges came out of the pensive, all looking white, gray or green around the gills, and all having a furious light in their eyes. It did surprise Harry, but only for a short time. Then hope swelled inside him, for just an instant, hope that he would finally be believed after fourteen years.

Robert sagged mentally with both relief and defeat when the judges came out of the memory. He had, as the attorney for the defense, been allowed to see it, and knew that that one piece of evidence would be the end of the trial. There was no way the judges could find her not guilty after seeing what the horrid woman he was forced to defend had done.

The judges conferred for a short time, and then Madam Bones said “Has the bench seen all the evidence it needs to?” When they all nodded, she continued “All those in favor that Miss Umbridge is guilty?” All ten hands went up with fierceness that only half surprised her. Though she knew that there would be no hands, she asked the obligatory vote for not-guilty. Once that was over, she looked at Umbridge with an indifferent look. Speaking in a stern, ringing tone Amelia ended the trial “Dolores Jane Umbridge, you have been found guilty of the crime of child abuse against a member of the Society of Natural Animagus. The Society will give you your sentencing, but know this: if they are lenient on you, you will henceforth be a pariah, as maligned and hated as the werewolves you have condemned over the years.” She got up, and bid her fellow judges good bye, leaving the wretched woman to her fate.

As the teachers left, ushering the students out and off to do their homework or otherwise occupy themselves, Severus, Albus, Selene and her ‘herd’, and the five elder Animagus, remained for the sentencing of the Toad. Robert had left after telling Fudge that they were finished, and Cornelius had looked at Dolores with a half-sad, half-angry glare before abandoning her as well. The woman shivered in the accused box where she’d been brought at the start of the trial. She knew that her fate was sealed now, and she wondered just what sinister punishment the disgusting animal-shifters would come up with.

Though the Society was known for being peace lovers, they could hand out just punishment. However, they were having difficulty with coming up with one for the Toad. What she had done had been similar to what the LeStranges had done to the Longbottoms. The only blessed difference was it had been spaced out for one week, and the child had had an escape from the torture. It wasn’t so much the physical pain as the emotional battering he’d been put through as well. That, more than any bodily pain, would drive even an elder Animagi over the edge, much less a green one. A suitable punishment for Umbridge would involve the same type of pain, but that also put at risk those administering it. Jahi finally stated that ending the Toad’s life would be the best, even if it was too good for her. The others agreed, as it was a task more easily accomplished than any more creative ones. Execution was the usual end for a child abuser anyways.

Once the sentencing was past, the elders (including Selene) escorted the Toad out of Hogwarts and into the Forbidden Forest. Severus, Minerva, Harry and Draco stayed behind, while Albus followed them. Ivy and Tari left by Floo to mind the Curio shop while Sel was otherwise busy.

The eight people finally stopped in a secluded glen an hour later, though the place was really closer than that. The Toad had struggled as they came closer and closer to the spot that was to be her end, so it had taken them longer than it would have. Once there, though, it was a matter of a moment to set everything up, and Anfisa had the dubious honor of finishing the Toad. Those who had a weak stomach had looked away, though only Albus did so. He could handle a fight, but not such an execution on a human who was protesting as much as Umbitch was. So the only sign that the deed had been done was the whistle-smack-thunk sound that a beheading makes. When he turned around the body was disposed of, and only the live ones were left.

***

After the end of the Toad, most of the student population celebrated. Even after only a week they had started to feel the yoke of suppression. On Monday the fifth years were ready to face a new teacher. They were surprised to see Derrik, whom many remembered had been at the Trial of the Toad.

The surprise turned to joy as they learned that the first half of the class would be spent stretching and learning new spells, and the second half would be learning how to fence. Some were doubtful about this, mostly the Muggleborn and half-bloods, but they were all willing to try it. Especially when they learned that it could easily save their life if they didn’t have a wand on hand, but could find something, anything, that could be used as a sword.

So the fifth year Snakes and Lions practiced, working hard to learn all that Derrik had to teach them. Though many wondered what experience the man had in Defense to be stationed at Hogwarts when he was a SoNA elder, they said nothing. Harry in particular was eager to learn all he could about fencing, as he suspected he would have an easier time taking down the Dark Lord, should it ever come to that, with a sword than a wand.

Though the old pureblood families, those with money, had a distinct edge over the other students because of having the chance to learn some fencing as children, the Muggleborns were quick to pick it up. Derrik smirked to himself watching the students practicing blocks with the wooden practice swords. He knew, better than most of his England kin, that this year’s students would be a force to be reckoned with even by Christmas time; especially the newest SoNA members, Harry and Draco. Those two were working mentally together as Bond-mates should, despite the physical distance between them. Derrik’s thoughts as he watched the younglings were to the fact that Voldemort had better watch out, as his greatest enemy was steadily growing stronger, and would be ready the next time they met. At least he hoped so, with all his might.