Anna Potter and the order of the phoenix

Chapter 3

HALL-DAY
[Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Lupin and Rose are standing in the hall, Waiting, as Sirius and Anna descend the stairs.]
Mrs. Weasley: Morning, dear! Did you have a good asleep?
Anna: No, my scar kept hurting. [Mr. Weasley, Sirius and Lupin exchange nervous glances.]
Gryffindors+Evan and Barty looked at her worried.
Mr. Weasley: (Bracingly) Probably just nerves...
Anna: Yeah... Nerves...
Mrs. Weasley: Good luck, Anna! [She hugs Anna. After the hug, Anna standa back, but is suddenly hugged by Rose.]
Rose: They'll have to let you off, Anna... You were defending yourself! I checked it. It's in the law that you can use magic for self-defence.
"It is." Confirmed Barty.
Anna: Thanks, Rose.
Mr. Weasley: Well, come on, Anna. Time to go.
Anna: Bye. [She wavea, and she and Mr. Weasley depart.]
LONDON STREET-DAY
[The street isn't very crowded, as the sun rises in the east. Anna and Mr. Weasley hurry along the sidewalk and come to a phonebooth. Mr. Weasley looks around cautiously.]
Mr. Weasley: Good, good, not very many muggles. [He opens the photobooth and slips inside. He beckons to Anna.]
Mr. Weasley: Well, come on Anna, in we go. [Anna slips inside the booth, and Mr. Weasley, with some difficulty, closes the door behind them. Mr. Weasley picks up the phone and listens in the wrong end for a moment.]
Mr. Weasley: I do love using the Fellytone!
Lily and Remus laughed.
Mr. Weasley: Now, Let's see, What's the number again... [He punches in six, two, four, two. There is a tap on the glass of the box. Mr. Weasley glances out of the window to see a muggle man standing outside. The man taps his watch impatiently. Mr. Weasley holds up a finger, as to say, "just a second." The man sights and turns around, tapping his foot.]
Female Voice: Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your business.
Mr. Weasley: Anna Potter, disciplinary hearing.
Female Voice: Please stand by. [There is a pause, and then the whole phone booth begins to sink down into the ground. The man, his back to the booth, is completley oblivious.]
Immature trio chuckles at him.
MINISTRY OF MAGIC -DAY
[The booth sinks lower into the ground.]
Mr. Weasley: Usually i apperate, but you're too young, so i thought we'd take the scenic route.
Lily nodded.
[The booth shudders to a hlat, and the door slides open, revealing a large lobby, filled with busy-looking wizards and witches going to and fro. Anna and Mr. Weasley exit the phone booth and enter the looby. The door to the phone booth closes, and it slides up again, out of sight.]
MINISTRY OF MAGIC
[Mr. Weasley walks through the crowd of wizards.]
Mr. Weasley: Keep close, Anna! [A stooped, timid-looking, white-haired wizard pushes his way through the crowd towards Mr. Weasley.]
Mr. Weasley: Ah, Perkins, good morn-
Perkins: Arthur, they've changed the time of Potter's hearing.
"Bastards." Said Sirius.
Mr. Weasley: Blast! Dumbledore thought they might try that.
Perkins: It started at eight!
Mr. Weasley: Good lord, That was five minutes ago! Come on, Anna!
Gryffindors look nervous.
[They break into a run. They jog down hallway after hallway, then Mr. Weasley leads Anna onto a large lift. There are several other witches and wizards on it. It descends shudderingly for a few moments, then stops.]
Female Voice: Department of Mysteries.
Anna: Department of Mysteries?
Mr. Weasley: Yep, I've got no idea what they get up to in here.
"No one does." Said Lucius.
Mr. Weasley: It's top secret.
[The lift doors open. Anna and Mr. Weasley exit, running down corridors. Anna skids to a stop and looks down a dark hallway. Mr. Weasley stops as well, and glances back at Anna.]
Mr. Weasley: Come on, Anna!
Anna: I've been there before... [Mr. Weasley looks nervous, then grabs Anna's robes and drag her along.]
"The dream!" Said Regulus.
"What?" Asked Barty.
"This door was shown in Anna's dream." Said Regulus.
"Of course. That's why it seemed familiar." Said Barty.
Mr. Weasley: Now, Anna, I find that highly unlikely...[A few moments later, they arrive.]
Mr. Weasley: There you are, Anna, In you go... good luck... [Anna enters the chamber.]
COURTROOM - DAY
[One side of the courtroom is an elevated zigarat-shaped series of seats carved from black stone. The whole room is dark, Save a light shining through from the ceiling down on the center of the room, where a single wooden chair, covered in chains.]
Fudge: You're late.
Anna: Sorry. [She didn't look sorry at all.]
Fudge: No matter, the accused will take her seat. [Anna sits on chair and looks around her nervously.]
"She has been on investigation before." Said Barty with one look.
"How would you know?" Asked Lily.
"She isn't nervous. She hasn't been since she entered the room." Answered Regulus.
"She is. Look at her!" Answered James.
"She is using nervous, defensless girl's act to observe people, so she can offer the mask, they would be satisfied with." Said Narcissa. Regulus and Barty agreed with Narcissa.
Fudge: Very well, We're ready to begin.
Dumbledore: Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. [Anna turns her head toward Dumbledore. He stands by the door of the courtroom, looking up at the minister.]
Fudge: Ah... you... er... got message that the time had changed, did you?
Dumbledore: (cheeffully) Must have missed it. (Pause) However, due to a fortunate mistake, I arrived at the ministry three hours early.
[Dumbledore conjures up a squashy, Chintz armchair next to Anna's and sits down with a mild squeak. He steeples his fingers and looms up at the Minister with an expression of polite interest.]
Fudge: Well. The... ah... Charges. [He consuls his notes.]
Fudge: The charges against the accused shall now be read into the record: That the accused did with deliberation and fore-Knowledge of the illegality of her actions, Produce a patronus charm in full sight of a muggle. (Pause. To Anna) You're Anna Euphemia Potter?
Anna: Yes.
Fudge: And you conjured a patronus on the night of the eleventh of August?
Anna: Yes, but-
Fudge: Within full sight of a muggle?
"Let her talk!" Said annoyed James.
Anna: Yes, but-
Susan Bones: You produced a patronus? A fully-formed patronus, with a clearly- defined shape?
Anna: Yes.
Amelia Bones: That is most remarkebale, Ms. Potter.
"I like her." Said Lily. Marauders agreed.
Fudge: It doesn't matter how impressive it was!
Anna: But i did it because of the Dementors! And Minister, i would really apprecate if you didn't interrupt me and let me finish talking. Thank you! [Fudge looks angry.]
"She is still amateour. She let her mask slip." Said Lucius.
"She wasn't taught how to do it and it wasn't even that big. It was just little slip up." Defended Barty.
Amelia Bones: What do you mean? [Anna's face is full of sadness and desperation.]
Anna: My cousin and i were attacked by Dementors. That's why i had to use the patronus, to drive them away.
"She fixed it." Said Evan.
Fudge: Ah, yes, yes, another cock-and-bull story. [Tears roll down Anna's face.]
Anna: What the point of all this, if you have already decided i'm guilty?
"Ok. If she goes on like this, she has this in her pocket." Said Barty.
Susan Bones: But dementors in Little Whinging?
Fudge: Oh, come now, Susan. She's clearly lying. [Anna starts sobbing. Dumbledore looks at her surprised.]
"She can fake cry?" Asked surprised Regulus.
"How do you know? Maybe she is really crying!" Said Lily.
"It was clear from movies she doesn't cry often and if she does definetly not in public." Said Evan.
Anna: Your duty is to listen me out and not accusing me. Why no is listening to me? [The most of the people in the stands look at her sympathecally.]
"She is winning them over." Agreed Sirius.
[Fudge gets red with anger and is about to say something, but Dumbledore interrupts.]
Dumbledore: We have a witness to the presence of the Dementor in question.
Fudge: We haven't got time to-
Dumbledore: I may be wrong, but i do believe that it says somewhere in the Wizagammot Charter of Rights that the Accused has the right to present witnesses to prove his or her case? In fact, I do believe i wrote that particular bit myself.
Fudge: Very well. Weasley, fetch the witness. [Percy goes to the door and lets Mrs. Figg in. She stands in front of Anna and Dumbledore nervously.]
Fudge: Full name?
Mrs. Figg: Arabella Doreen Figg, resident of little whinging.
Fudge: So what is your story?
Figg: I was sitting on my porch when i saw the two dementors gliding towards the boy and girl.
Amelia Bones: What did Dementors look like?
Figg: Well, they were big and wore great, tattered cloaks. [Anna chokes out a sob. There is murmuring among the wizengamot.]
"She is good." Admitted Lucius.
Amelia Bones: Anything else?
Figg: I- I felt them. It was horrible... Like i would never be happy again.
Fudge: Very well, you may go. [Mrs. Figg hurrys from the courtroom.]
Fudge: Not very convicing.
Amelia Bones: Oh, i disagree. She desrcibed their effects very completely.
Fudge: So two Dementors just happened to be in Little Whinging? I think not...
Dumbledore: Only if the Dementors are still taking their orders from only the Ministry these days. I believe you know my views on this, Cornelius.
"He's laying a trap." Said Regulus.
Fudge: Yes, and they're nothing but blige, Dumbledore. [Umbridge shifts into the light. She is a short, ugly, toad-like woman.]
Umbridge: Excuse me, Dumbledore, but did you just accused the Ministry of Magic of ordering an attack on this girl?
Dumbledore: If the Dementors are taking their orders from the Ministry exclusively, then it must certainly follow logically that someone in the Ministry ordered the attack. (Pause) And in that case, I'm sure the Ministry will make a full inquiry.
Fudge: Dementors are irrelevant!
"And the fish caught." Said Barty.
Dumbledore: On the contrary, Cornelius. If they were there, then Anna was acting in self-defense, which is perfectly allowable under Clause Seven of the Decree of Reasonable Restriction of Underaged Wizardry. (Pause) We're all in agreement on this?
Fudge: Well, yes, If she's telling the truth!
Anna: (cried out) I am.
"Too far." Said Narcissa.
"Still works." Said Barty.
Dumbledore: You have heard it from eye-witnesses, Cornelius.
Fudge: Very well, All for clearing the accused of charges? [She glances around the room with innocent, tear-filled eyes, noticing all the hands in the air.]
Fudge: All opposed? [Only a few hands.]
"Told you!" Said Barty.
"Doesn't prove Anna was playing." Said James. Lily nodded.
Fudge: (angrily) Fine! Cleared of all charges! [Anna gives big smile.]
Anna: Thank you, Minister! I will never forget the kindness you showed me today! And i will make sure to pay you back tenfold.
"Good one!" Laughed Barty.
Dumbledore: Excellent. [Dumbledore gets out of his chair, Vanishes it with the wave of a wand, and sweeps from the courtroom. Anna gets out of the wooden chair, glances upward at Umbridge. Their eyes meet for a split second. She glowers at her. Anna exits. When she gets out, she wipes of her tears and smirks.]
"Enough proof?" Smirked Barty. James scrowled at him, Lily looked at her daughter surprised.