Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric...Brian...Dumbledore.
You, you got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you?
I must have missed it. But by a happy mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early.
The charges against the accused are as follows; that he did knowingly and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, produced a Patronus charm in the presence of a Muggle. Do you deny producing said Patronus?
[Interrupting Harry]
And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of seventeen?
Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot--
I was only doing it because of the Dementors!
Amelia Bones Dementors? In Little Whinging?
That's quite clever. Muggles can't see Dementors, can they boy? Highly convenient.
I'm not lying, there were two of them and if I hadn't--
[Interrupting Harry]
Enough! I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure would have been a very well reversed story, but since you can produce no witnesses of the event--
Pardon me Minister, but as it happens we can.
Amelia Bones Please describe the attack. What did they look like?
F Mrs Figg
Well one of them was very large, and the other rather skinny.
Not the boys, the Dementors.
F Mrs Figg
Alright, right, well um, big. Cloaked. Then everything went cold, as though all the happiness had gone from the world.
Now look here, Dementors don't just wander into a muggle suburb and happen across a wizard, the odds are astronomical.
D Dumbledore
I don't think anyone would believe the Dementors were there by coincidence, Minister.
Ahem. I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, Professor. Dementors are after all under the control of the Ministry of Magic. So silly of me but it sounded, for a moment, as though you were suggesting that the Ministry had ordered the attack on this boy.
D Dumbldore
That would be disturbing indeed, madame Under-Secretary, which is why I'm sure the Ministry will be mounting a full-scale inquiry into why the two Dementors were so far away from Azkaban and why they mounted an attack without authorization. Of course, there is someone who might be behind the attack.
Cornelius, I implore you to see reason. The evidence the Dark Lord's return is incontrovertible.
In the matter of Harry Potter, the law clearly states that magic may be used before Muggles in life-threatening situations.
Laws can be changed if necessary, Dumbledore!
Clearly, it has become practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic.
Amelia Bones Those in favor of conviction?
Amelia Bones [Fudge raises his hand followed by some other people including Umbridge]
Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?
[Most people raise their hand, including Amelia Bones and Miss Figg, who actually has no vote in this] [Reluctantly]
Cleared of all charges!
