Chapter 4
“Order in the court!” A man in long black robes stood at the podium. His skin drooped off of his face, with oval-shaped spectacles dipping low on his nose. He banged the gravel against the podium.
He coughed, his voice rasping and tired.
“Today we stand trial for Bellatrix and Rodolfus Lestrange, with the help of Rastaban Lestrange and Barty Crouch Junior, for the use of the Crucio curse on Frank and Alice Longbottom. Those who reported accusations were not able to have recovered in time for today, therefore their comrades will serve in their place.
The defendants have not been able to concur anything beyond their own arguments. They shall represent themselves in this case.”
He turned around and watched the assembled wizarding council.
“It is one of these rare trials where one of our own is tried, wherein we must find a substitute for their place. We must not allow biased opinions in the court, so we ask that the family members of the accused not represent their respective families in court.”
The judge then made a tired gesturing motion to the doorway. Two people walked out, their faces blurring in Pheobe’s eyes as she paid not a second thought to the people. She was focused on her mother. Her slit, lip curled in disgust and just a bit of insanity. Pheobe noted that in the time they had separated Bellatrix seemed to have become even more deranged.
Pheobe didn’t like it when her mother looked like this. Usually this meant she was going to throw things or scream senselessly till the rage had left her. Which could take between anywhere between a couple minutes to multiple weeks.
“Per the election of the people, Claire Campbell and Matthew Brown were chosen to be our representatives for today.”
Bellatrix was shaking. That wasn’t a good sign.
“If no one has any points they would like to announce,” He paused. “Then we will now continue with our case.”
He ruffled some papers, eyes twinkling when he found what he was searching for.
“The defendants now stand accused of Attempted Murder, soliciting for ‘You-Know-Who’, Use of the Crucio Curse, with the assault and battery of two representatives of The Ministries of Magic law enforcement. How do you plead?”
“We plead not guilty, your honor.” Rastaban Lestrange grinned widely. “Why, your honor, do you stoop so low as to try your own son?” He gestured to Barty Junior, ignoring his quiet hiss to “Knock it off!”.
“You can criticize my staff. However, due to a previously issued gag order, you will be fined 200 galleons for breaking said gag order. Would you like to continue?” The Minister of Magic taunted.
“What evidence do you have for your accusation?” Barty Crouch ignored the jab and continued on in a monotone voice.
Cruella Lestrange stepped forward, and it seemed as if the entire court had taken a sharp breath. She smiled with all her teeth, her almond-shaped eyes fluttering.
Her dress was a sparkling black, the detailed lace swishing around her ankles as she walked. The sleeves puffed out at her shoulder, giving her an elegant feel as she walked up to the stand. Her dress was flowy. That was the only word Pheobe could come up with when she observed her sister. Her corset was just visible, but only if you were looking for it. White gloves and peacock hairpin stood out among Cruella’s all black dress. All in all, she was stunning.
A quick glance at Cassiopeia revealing to Pheobe that she and Robin had been left out on this particular plan. A knowing sparkle in her eyes and smirk on her lips as she gazed at their older sister left Pheobe with a shiver going up her spine. Gosh- were all her siblings this downright terrifying?
Speaking of siblings, where was Elio? He didn’t come with them to the spectator stands.
“I, Cruella Lestrange, provide witness to the events in which the violent crippling of Frank and Alice Longbottom. I was under Bellatrix Lestrange’s guidance at that time. My situation may further be explained by Brandy Galadrigal.” She nodded in the spy master’s direction. “I was assured that my testimony would not cause further problems for my position. I hope you keep your word.”
“I am hurt that you woul-”
“You BITCH! What use are you if you can’t even defend your own Mother!” Bellatrix screamed loudly as incoherent sounds sputtered out of her mouth, tremors raking their way through her body.
Rodolphus’ anger was much milder in comparison, but only on the surface. When he wasn’t drunk, his anger lay in disappointed glares and thinly veiled jabs. But when under the influence of alcohol, he could be as bad or worse than Bellatrix.
At the moment he was taking in his eldest daughter, looking at her as if she was a stranger.
A sound of lazy shuffling feet came from somewhere behind Cruella, and she turned with very visible exasperation.
“Ya, ya. The names Elio Lestrange-” He was slouching, and his robes were all wrong. Where one thing was supposed to go another would fall into its place. The necktie- an aggravating topic for both Rodolphus and Bellatrix as they didn’t want any connection to the muggle world- was tied sloppily. His shoes were dull, and they were covered in specs of dirt with Merlin-knows-what.
“And I testify for basically what she said.”
He pointed at Cruella, who could not contain her eye roll. Her sigh of exasperation could be heard throughout the court.
Cruella then took a short vial out of her vest pocket. As Pheobe squinted, Cruella held it out to Mr. Crouch who then poured the milky substance into a bowl. He then muttered unintelligible words, only lifting his head up to acknowledge Cruella’s warning.
“I would advise any children to leave the court, as the following memory may be…” Cruella’s lips twisted into a grimace. “Disturbing. To say the least.”
At this, Cassiopeia stood up abruptly as she ushered Pheobe and Robin out of the room. She spared only one glance back to Ms. Longbottom and her grandson. Ms. Longbottom wasn’t moving, not even at the panicked glances her grandson kept sending her.
“H-hello!” Pheobe turned around, eyes warily taking in Ms. Longbottom. Cassiopeia put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.
“Would your grandson like to come with me?” Pheobe winced as soon as the sentence left her mouth. Now she was seriously going to think that they were going to murder her grandson.
Ms. Longbottom did the thing Pheobe hadn’t even thought to be an option. She gave a defeated sigh and shifted her legs to the side to allow her grandson to slide on through. He seemed to be just as shocked as Pheobe was.
“Just go, Neville.” She told him in a clipped tone. Neville seemed torn between choosing to go with strangers, whose mother might have tortured his parents, and staying with his grandmother. If he were to stay with his grandmother, he would probably be rather traumatized at the end of it.
“I want him to be in my line of sight, just out of that doorway, understood?”
Neville, having made his decision, walked over to the other children. The other few spectators had already left, leaving all other court members to not so inconspicuously stare at the children.
Cassiopeia left quickly, ushering the children through the doorway. A couple of other people milled about, occasionally casting glances towards the children.
“Pheobe.”
Nevile startled, glancing around briefly before leaning closer. “What?”
“Pheobe. That’s my name.” Pheobe gestured to her brother.
“He’s Robin.” Robin offered a shy wave.
“And I am Cassiopeia. The oldest.” Cassiopeia didn’t make any welcoming-nor any discouraging- remarks.
Neville smiled hesitantly. “I’m Neville. I’m five.”
Pheobe smiled brightly, gasping in delight. “Me too! Do you think we’ll both go to Hogwarts?”
‘That was a stupid question, Pheobe! Get it together! Obviously he’s going to Hog-’
Neville flinched slightly, his smile turning sad. Just as Pheobe was about to open her mouth to sputter apologies, Neville spoke.
“Ah. Maybe. If I’m not a squib- that is.”
Robin scoffed loudly. “Eh?! That just means that you’ll be better at something else! Don’t beat yourself up like that! Maybe I’ll be better at magic than you… but you’ll be better at, um, chess! Ya chess!!”
Robin looked proud of himself for making his point, a proud smirk twitching on the corners of his lips.
Neville laughed. “Maybe! Just not at chess though-”
Pheobe interrupted, a goofy grin spreading across her lips. “But what boring person would like chess? I mean, you can do so much more than chess.”
Cassiopeia chuckled, before quietly saying. “Then that means boring people are just smart.”
Robin and Neville interrupted. “How is playing chess smart?”
The eldest child thought for a moment, before crouching down to see eye to eye with the younger kids.
“Well, think about it like this. If you are dribbling a football down the field, and somebody tries to block you, what do you do?”
“You dodge!” exclaimed Neville triumphantly.
“Then what do you do?”
“You go towards the goal!”
Cassiopeia wasn’t smiling, but there was an upwards lilt to her voice and her eyes sparkled.
“Now imagine they have an invisibility spell… or cloak. How do you dodge?”
The three children stare at her blankly.
“You look for indents in the grass. Or the sound of footsteps.”
“Oh…”
“I knew that!” Pheobe boasted.
Robin smacked her arm. “No you didn’t!”
“Yes I did!”
They waved their hands at each other.
They looked so silly that Neville couldn’t help the giggle that erupted out of his chest. If they had been older, perhaps the kids would have been wearier around each other, but the two siblings were disarming in their bickering. Neville’s giggles made the other two kids turn to him.
“Did she say it?” Robin gestured, waving his arms at Pheobe.
Neville looked like a frightened rabbit for a moment, before smirking and saying.
“Pheobe did say it before!”
She then whirled on her brother.
“Ha! I told you!”
Robin was staring at Neville with a betrayed expression.
Cassiopeia clapped her hands softly, drawing their attention to her and away from the inevitable argument.
“Now, since you hear the footsteps, don’t you think you can move around them?”
“But how will we know what they are doing?”
“Good question.” Neville preened under the praise. “You don’t. You have to make a calculated guess to what they’re going to do.”
Robin nodded slowly. “Oh! I get it! In chess, they try to use a strategy to win! You don’t know what strategy they are using- but you can take a guess at it and try to counter act them!”
Pheobe let out a hum of understanding. Then she turned to Neville and Robin.
“Well, that just means that we have to become smart, but just not boring.”
A man glanced their way, before snorting. “If I was the head of Aurors, I would have locked up the whole family. If there’s something wrong with the bitch then there’s something wrong with the mutts- “
“We’re not mutts!” Pheobe hissed, backing into Cassiopeia’s legs, who then put a calming hand on her sister’s head.
“Are we going to have a problem.” Cassiopeia smiled at the man, one of her pretty ones. She said it like a statement. An implication clear in her tone.
We have a problem. Do you want to push it?
“Perhaps.” The man glanced at Neville, lips pulling into a sneer. “You do better to not hang out with sluts like them.”
Pheobe sharply clapped her hands over Robin’s ears, gesturing for Neville to do the same.
“Oh, do shut up Darren! Nobody wants to listen to your foul mouth.” A short man with a mustache hissed eyes briefly flitting over the children before landing on Cassiopeia.
“Why you-”
“Hello Professor Flitwick. Funny seeing you here.”
He walked over to the group. “Oh, stop with the pleasantries, Ms. Ton-Cassiopeia. We both know my presence is not a coincidence.”
Cassiopeia looked like she wanted to say something else but held her tongue as the Hogwarts Professor turned his attention to the children beside her.
“Are any of you going to be joining Hogwarts soon?”
“Yes!” Pheobe chirped happily. “Me and Neville will be going in… 5 years.”
“I’m going too! But just a year later than them.”
“Goodness! So long for such smart children to join the school?” He smiled. “I am the Charms Professor! I hope none of you tend to goof off in class.” He added with a wag of his finger.
Pheobe quickly shook her head. “No sir.”
“Good! What hou-”
“Excuse me!” Neville mumbled. He swallowed nervously. “I think the trial is done.”
“Oh dear! It seems that the young lad is correct.” Professor Flitwick smiled, calmly stepping away from the group. “I hope to see you all soon. And Ms. Cassiopeia,”
Said girl’s head snapped up, eyes weary and tired.
“You would do good to keep off it. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. It would be a shame to see a life full of potential wasted.”
“Hm.”
As the council members left through the doorway, Neville’s Grandmother came and swept him away. Probably to interrogate him on what the siblings had talked to him about.
It was in the crowd that Cruella and Elio came to them, faces blank. A tense five seconds passed before Robin practically crashed into Elio. Unlike what usually happened, Elio left his brother clinging onto his legs.
It wasn’t until Cruella rasped with tear filled eyes and a sore throat,
“We need to talk.”
That Pheobe realized something had gone
Very
Very
Very
Wrong.