Gods Give Another Chance

Chapter 8

Harriet

We celebrate my first win in Wizengamot, and I couldn't be happier. The minister even invited me to sit in on the trials. I was happy to watch them. I wanted to know who was truly innocent and who was guilty. The reporters were all over me when we stepped out but thankfully Lord Black had prepared me for that.

When the first trials begin, I sit next to Sirius and Leo, who insisted on being with me. They start with the lowest ranked members. Hearing the true damage done by some of them was heart breaking and I hold Leo's hand through it. I was no stranger to war, but it was still hard to hear. Five out of the twelve trials proved innocent. The minister and members of Wizengamot looked appalled as it came out the true ways Voldemort used to control his members. Everything from potions to forcing husbands to watch as their wives and daughters were passed around. At the mention of this Sirius grabs my hand. When we finally leave after setting up the next trials for tomorrow, we don't stop to talk to reporters as we head home.

"I don't want you there tomorrow." Sirius says.

"Please, I want to see this through." I say practically begging.

"You are too young to be hearing that stuff. If that was the low ranking then I can't imagine the high ranking." He scowls.

"I still want to be there."

"It will look bad if she doesn't go." Orion says.

"I don't care." Sirius growls. "It was bad enough hearing what some of them did but hearing..."

"Please Uncle Pads. If it becomes too much then I will tell you. I want to be there. Yes, it was bad but now five people who lived that are able to go home." I say hugging him.

"Fine pronglet but the moment it becomes too much we leave." He relents. I pull back and give him a beaming smile.

"Thank you."

"He is right though, it is bound to get worse, and you need to be mentally prepared for that. I never realized how strong those wards are." Lord Black says.

"Yeah, makes me nervous to go to Gringotts again." Regulus admits.

"Thankfully they are only usually used for bank dealings and not digging out your deepest secrets." I smile and the adults shiver causing me to laugh.

The next few days are filled with trials. The public in outrage to learn innocent people who already went through horrible things were imprisoned. It takes a week to get to the inner circle members. Bellatrix is brought out first and I see most of the family tense. She might no longer be a Black, but it was still hard to see her like that. As the wards take hold and she describes in detail the torture of the Longbottoms, I see Lady Longbottom shed a tear. She looked truly pleased with what she had done. By the end of it she is sentenced to be kissed due to the true ruthlessness of the crimes. A break is taken to allow everyone to calm down. As we walk out, I spot Lady Longbottom.

"Lady Longbottom I am truly sorry for what was done to your family." I tell her.

"Thank you dear, because of you they will be brought to proper justice and allow us all to sleep better knowing true villains are dealt with." She says giving me a sad smile. I just nod, not knowing what else to say. Lord Black walks over and rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Lady Longbottom if you need anything let me know. While she had been disowned, I still cannot believe my blood would do such a thing."

"Thank you, Lord Black. It seems your family has done enough for my family. It was found out my grandson had blocks on his magic when purged. We tested my son and his wife, and they too had potions. While they are still working on a cure, they seem to now have moments they recognize us."

"I am truly happy to hear that." He says nodding at her. Once we leave her, he leads me over to the family. I spot Jasper standing in the crowd with a woman I assume is his mother. I nudge Leo.

"There is Jasper."

"I hope for his sake his father didn't do some of those things." He whispers. I just nod, it would be devastating to learn your father did something like that.

We are called back in and Rodolphus is brought out. I glance to where I saw Jasper sit. He looks tense and I want to go support him.

The trial goes on and I truly feel sick to my stomach, but I vow to finish this. To hear how his father had sold him to Voldemort at the age of 13 was heartbreaking but hearing what was done to him was downright disturbing. He had already proven to be under many compulsions. When it comes out that if he failed a mission or disobeyed Bellatrix in anyway Rabastan was brutally punished I look to Jasper to see tears running down his cheeks. The last blow is how Voldemort himself tortured his two-day old son to death, claiming he was a distraction. He is immediately released, and the healers take him.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asks.

"Yeah, Jasper's father is next. He was the reason I started all this." I whisper back. Sirius just nods and turns back as Rabastan is brought in.

He is similar to Rodolphus and claims that when he met his wife they met in secret. After witnessing what happened to Rodolphus's son Rabastan sent her away to protect their child. The anguish in his voice at never getting to meet his child brings tears to my eyes. The moment he is freed, Jasper and his mother are led out of the room by an auror.

Antonin Dolohov is another proved innocent. Controlled due to his talents in spell creating and warding. They had been right, the inner circle was the worst and by the end of all of it, four are released while two more besides Bellatrix is sentenced to be kissed.

Once over the minister stands.

"I would like to propose we expand on Ms. Potter's proposal and have retrials for all those believed to be under the imperio curse. After hearing everything I do not feel right to not know for sure and to let people who would do some of those horrendous crimes continue to walk free."

The vote is almost completely unanimous to do retrials.

Lord Black

When we arrive home the children run off and I stop the others from calling them back.

"Let them be, that was hard for even the adults in the room, much less the children." I tell them.

"Merlin I can't even wrap my head around it." Sirius groans sitting down. "Yeah, I fought in the war, but I had no idea."

"None of us did. I couldn't imagine going through all that only to end up in Azkaban." Regulus says.

"Harriet will have many praising her for her idea. While some were against it no one can deny now it was needed."

"I am just worried about his supporters who were never caught. When people who originally got away with it are locked up it could also make her more of a target." Sirius points out.

"We will be there for her, and she will have Leo in school." Orion says.

"Along with Rabastan's son. I caught a look of adoration on his face when he looked at her after his father was released. I wouldn't doubt it if many of the children whose parents were released feel indebted to her." Regulus points out causing Sirius to groan.

"Leo is bad enough, no more boys."

We all just chuckle as I have an elf bring us some whiskey.

"Will you check on the children?" Sirius asks the elf.

"Oh, little Miss and master are asleep in little miss's room." The elf says causing us to laugh again.

"If they hadn't gone through so much today, I would have your son by his ears for sleeping in the same bed as her." Sirius glares at Barty and Regulus.

"I don't think you have to worry about other guys." Barty smirks. We all enjoyed riling him up when it came to Harriet and boys. He was still determined to keep her single and pure till thirty.