Harry Potter And The Betrayal

The five elderly wizards looked up from the chairs they were seated in along one wall in the High Council Chamber as the door opened, wanting to see who else had answered the summons for this Council hearing. They were hoping for at least the Heads of four more families from the oldest bloodlines. They needed least nine Councillors to conduct the trial that was to take place in about an hour, otherwise all they would be able to do was censure the man who had nearly brought about the destruction of the Wizarding world, and that really wouldn't be much of a punishment.

They didn't need to see the man's face to know who it was. The staff in his hand told them who this Councillor was, since there was only one wizard currently using a staff… Harry Potter .

Inclining his head slightly, the Lord Kieran rose and greeted the newcomer. "Welcome Lord Potter to the High Council of Wizarding Britain. I am Lord Kieran."

"I received three of these letters several days ago summoning me here." Harry held up three pieces of parchment looking none too pleased at being there. "Why was I summoned?"

Lord Perrivor was the one who hurried to explain, not wanting Lord Potter to bring down the wards and spells on this old chamber. They were there for a reason and would be needed later. "Lord Potter, I am Lord Perrivor. You were summoned here along with the rest of us to sit in judgement on a case of High Treason against the people of Wizarding Britain. Those letters are sent out magically to the heads of those Houses when a Councillor feels that a case coming before the Wizengamot needs to be handled by the High Council instead. We are the highest level of law in magical Britain."

"I'm surprised Fudge didn't try and get my hearings held before you then." Harry muttered.

"He wouldn't have known about the High Council." Lord Altren joined in the conversation, as the other two Lords led Lord Potter to the chair that had appeared when he entered the room. "I am Lord Altren by the way. The Council hasn't needed to sit in judgement on a case in over two hundred years. The only ones who know about the High Council these days are the Heads of Houses that can trace their lineage back at least one thousand years and their heirs, for those are the First Families to bring magic to the Isle of Britannia and maybe a few of the older wizards who were told about the Council by their parents. After Merlin left us, the High Council held all the power and authority, including the making of laws and dispensing of judgements. Around the time of the Muggle Queen Elizabeth I when the Muggle government started changing and our ancestors were finalising the arrangements to separate the magical and muggle worlds, the High Council at that time decided to start giving more authority to the younger families and created the Ministry and the Wizengamot. They did however retain their rights and they can be exercised to take back that authority if needed. The only reason we haven't is there are too few of us to govern adequately."

"Not to mention the chaos that would erupt if a previously forgotten group of people tried to take power away from the Ministry." Harry put in. "You would've been labelled Dark Lords."

"Exactly!" The ancient wizard was pleased at how quickly the younger Lord had grasped the situation. "My name is Lord Longrim. You said you received three letters… May I ask to whom they were addressed?"

Harry looked down and read the names off. "The first was addressed to the Head of the House of Potter. The second was addressed to the Head of the House of Black. And the last was addressed to the Head of the House of Magwren."

The five lords looked pleased. They only needed one more for a quorum.

Lord Perrivor asked very formally, because they couldn't coerce his co-operation here. "Lord and Head of the Houses of Potter, Black, and Magwren, we your brethren of the First Families ask if you will join us in rendering judgement in a matter of High Treason against Cornelius Oswald Fudge?"

Harry smiled and it wasn't a pleasant smile. "I thought Fudge had already been removed from office."

"I was part of the Wizengamot hearing a week ago that was to possibly remove him from office, but when I saw the list of charges, I realised that Fudge's actions had endangered us all." Lord Perrivor told him. "I called for a recess and went to my office to use the spell that summoned the Council to hear the case. Once it was activated, the spell took control over the case away from the Wizengamot."

"I'll bet Fudge wasn't too happy about that." Harry commented. "I think he owns most of them and of those he doesn't control others, that he does control, do."

"That was part of the reason, I did it." Perrivor admitted. "I've managed to stay free of such entanglements since I took my seat about forty years ago, but I didn't want that fool to get off with just the loss of his position as Minister. Will you join us, Lord Potter?"

"Before I decide whether or not to take my place on this Council, I have one more question to ask." Harry told them his expression serious.

"And that is?" Lord Keiran was curious.

'Will Dumbledore be sitting on this Council as well?" Harry's expression was grave.

Well aware of Lord Potter's dislike of Albus Dumbledore, even though the man was considered one of the greatest wizards of all time, Lord Kieran carefully answered, "While Albus Dumbledore will indeed be at this hearing, he does not have a seat on the Council. His family is not one of the First Families. He will only be here as a witness and he will have no power over any of these proceedings."

The Councillors waited in silence for the Boy-Who-Lived to decide what he was gong to do. They were well aware from the Daily Prophet articles, among others, of the young man's anger toward the people of Wizarding Britain and those in authority in particular. They just hoped that he wouldn't let that anger keep him from doing the right thing by doing his duty in this matter.

"Yes, I will take my place on the Council and render whatever judgement is needed." As Harry said those words, he felt calm and no longer angry as if his emotions had been set at a distance. He also noticed that his robes had turned to black silk edged in silver with the badges of the three houses he had been linked to showing in white and silver. Instantly suspicious, Harry demanded to know "What just happened to me?"

Well aware of the spells that were placed on Councillors once they agreed to sit in judgement Longrim had a good idea of what he was talking about. Lord Potter was no doubt suspecting some treachery had just been perpetrated on him. His great-grandfather's journal had detailed the spells on the High Council chamber so they wouldn't be forgotten. "Do not worry Lord Potter you are merely feeling one of the spells that have been placed on this room taking hold. None of the spells in this room will compel you to do anything you do not want to do. My great-grandfather called this particular spell Cerridwen's Guidance, since it allows you to render a fair judgement without your emotions getting in the way."

"What other spells are on the room?" Harry asked curious.

"There is a truthfulness spell that compels witnesses to tell the full truth without the addition of things they suppose or don't know but only heard from someone else." Longrim listed off the spells. "Spells to keep the accused and any witnesses from attacking each other or the Councillors and spells that insure all present can be understood by the others, since at the time this room was originally built, people still spoke different languages. There is also a spell on the room that will provide us with whatever is needed like food, private facilities for rest or other needs if the hearing runs longer than a few hours. The room will also provide evidence from other places, if necessary, since once all necessary parties have arrived the most important spell insures that no one can leave until the hearing is over."

"Oh, it acts like the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts." Harry decided.

"Room of Requirement?" Lord Altren had never heard of such a room during his time at Hogwarts.

Harry had just finished explaining how the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts worked when the door he had come through opened again. This time a slender man with dark brown hair entered the room.

"Hello, my name is Liam Dantes," the man introduced himself when he was close enough not to have to shout. "Can one of you tell me why I received two summons to come here today?"

"I will be more than happy to explain, if you will answer one question for me first." Lord Perrivor told him.

When Dantes nodded, he asked, "What were the names on the letters asking you to come today?"

"One was for the House of Weyland and the other for the House of Ravenclaw."

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