327Harry Potter and the New Path
Epilogue: Kicks in the Teeth
Harry let out a loud belch as he set down the empty coke can he had just finished.
"Good one Harry" Gohan laughed "I get the feeling you'll fit right in with Goten and Trunk's burping contests"
Harry smiled slightly as he looked at Chi-Chi and asked "I don't suppose you can tell me what it is that you got Gohan to find out at the Will reading can you?"
Chi-Chi nodded as she took a deep breath "Gohan has had extensive training recently in telepathy, which is a natural saiyan trait. I had him take a peek inside the heads of Molly and Arthur"
"And?" Harry asked
"Dumbledore arranged for you to meet the Weasley's at Kings Cross six years ago" Gohan replied "He had planed from what I've seen for you to…"
"To get close to a Dumbledore loyal family" Harry interrupted "Fawkes told me this already, I just wanted to find out if we knew the same thing"
"I'm sorry Harry" Gohan sighed
"I'm not" Harry said "Today I've learned where the loyalties of the people around me lie, I've learned who I can trust and who will knife me in the back"
"And who can you trust?" Chi-Chi asked
"A skeleton group in the Order and all the Weasley's except the parents, Ron and Percy. And Neville and Luna"
"So what do you intend to do?" Gohan asked
"We'll proceed as planed" Harry said "I'll take care of this and then we can go back to China. Dobby has already picked up my things from Surrey and the papers to withdraw me from Hogwarts will be filed by the end of the day. All that's left is to handle the trial"
"I'll take the stand first" Chi-Chi said "We can build the basis for doubt and then Harry can shut everything down and we can leave"
Harry nodded as he stood and buttoned the top button of his shirt and walked out of the office where they were eating.
Once they were back in the court room Grisham stood and said "The Defence calls Chi-Chi Son to the stand"
Once Chi-Chi was seated and sworn in Grisham approached her "Mrs Son" he said "What is your relationship with Mr Potter-Black?"
"I'm his Godmother" Chi-Chi replied
"How did this come to be?" Grisham asked "It was my understanding that you were born on the far side of the planet"
"I attended Hogwarts when I was eleven" Chi-Chi replied "Lily Evans was my roommate in Gryffindor and best friend for twelve years, before Harry was born Lily asked me to be his Godmother, I accepted"
"Do you know of Mr Potter's whereabouts on the night of the Diggory murder" Grisham asked
"He was with me and my son Gohan until eleven thirty that night" Chi-Chi said "We went out to celebrate the upcoming OWL results and to let Gohan meet Harry"
"When was the last time before today that you saw him?" Grisham asked
"Outside the Flower Pagoda restaurant in London at eleven thirty pm on Sunday night" Chi-Chi answered "He and Gohan were discussing making arrangements to take my younger son Goten to the Asian Quidditch Finals next month and then Harry used the Blue Phoenix he rented to get home. I got a letter from him an hour later through the Blue Phoenix, Silver, with a copy of his OWL results"
"Thank you Mrs Son" Grisham said as he sat down "Your witness"
Fudge nodded as he stood up "Mrs Son, when did you make contact with the defendant?"
"Last week" Chi-Chi said "I decided that I had spent enough time fighting Dumbledore and to go for the source"
"Why do you mean fighting Dumbledore?" Fudge asked
"For five years after James and Lily's murder I tried to get custody of Harry, but every time Dumbledore interfered"
"You said for five years" Fudge said "What happened for the next ten?"
"I had some family trouble with my Husbands late brother and other things" Chi-Chi said "I didn't want Harry put in danger by my husbands rivals"
"Why did you choose now to contact the defendant?" Fudge asked
"Sirius had just died" Chi-Chi replied "And after the fiasco of the last few years I decided enough was enough and contacted him through the Chinese Ministry, he talked to Remus Lupinand then contacted me, we've been corresponding for a week"
"I see" Fudge said "And what are your intentions should Mr Potter be acquitted?"
"Harry plans to come back to China with us" Chi-Chi said simply "All his belongings have been packed and we can leave right after the inquest"
"I see" Fudge said "No more questions your honour"
"You may step down Mrs Son" Bones said "Call your final witness Mr Grisham"
"The defence calls Harry Potter-Black to the stand" Grisham said "To be questioned under Veritasum"
Murmurs went through the court for a moment before Bones called for order.
"Mr Potter were you aware that your council was requesting this?" Bones asked
"I told him to" Harry said "I want the proof to be irrefutable that I had nothing to do with the murder of Cedric's parents"
"Very well" Bones said "Have one of the Unspeakable come up here with a dose of the high grade Veritasum"
"Yes your honour" Percy said as he glared at Harry.
Harry simply smiled pleasantly at the Weasley and sat back.
When the Unspeakable entered with the vial he looked towards Harry and asked "I have to administer the dose myself Mr Potter, do you have any problems with this?"
"None" Harry said as he straightened.
When the potion was administered Harry's eyes glazed over.
"What id your full name?" Grisham began
"Harry James Potter-Black" Harry replied in a flat monotone voice
"What is your date of birth?"
"July thirty first nineteen eighty"
"Where do you currently live?"
"Number four Privet Drive, Little Whingham Surrey"
"Have you ever used Dark Magic?"
"No"
"Have you ever used any of the Unforgivables?"
This would be the clincher, Chi-Chi concluded the test of the Oblivation spell she had cast on her Godson not an hour before.
"No"
Chi-Chi sighed in relief as she sat back, it had worked.
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
Chi-Chi knew that was just to ensure things.
"No" Harry replied
"Where were you on the night of the Diggory's murder?"
"I was in London having dinner with Chi-Chi and Gohan, I got home at eleven thirty five and got my OWL results an hour later. I sent letters to Ron, Hermione, Neville and Chi-Chi and went to bed"
"No further questions your Honour" Grisham said
"Unspeakable Cain" Bones said "Administer the antidote"
"Yes ma'am" the Unspeakable nodded as he fed Harry a small vial.
"You are dismissed Mr Potter" Bones said as Harry shook his head to clear the dizziness that filled it and then he nodded and returned to his seat.
"Do you have any more witnesses Interrogator?" Bones asked
"None your Honour" Fudge said
"Do you have any more witnesses Mr Grisham?" Bones asked again
"None" Grisham replied
"Then I call one recess of fifteen minutes to make my deliberations" Bones said "Although I know that this is an open and shut case" To which Fudge spluttered furiously but said nothing as Bones banged her gavel and stood up.
Harry smirked as he stood up "This is starting to get fun" he said to Gohan
"Yeah" Gohan agreed then he looked towards the rear of the courtroom "Weasels are here"
"How do you want to handle them Harry?" Chi-Chi asked
"We'll see what they have to say first" Harry replied as he stood up and walked out of the murmur filled courtroom.
Waiting beyond the door for him were Molly, Arthur, Ron, Ginny and Remus.
"Harry dear are you all right?" Molly asked
"I'm fine Mrs Weasley" Harry shrugged
"Harry" Molly said "Dumbledore has asked us to take you to the Burrow when the inquest is over"
"I don't think so" Harry said
"What?" Ginny asked
"You heard me Ginny" Harry said "When this trial is over I plan to take care of some business in London and then…I'm gone…permanently"
"Harry you can't be serious" Arthur asked
"Why's that Mr Weasley?" Harry wondered "I'm an emancipated minor with priority control of two of the oldest and most powerful magical families in existence. I can do whatever the hell I want with my life"
"So you're just going to abandon your friends?" Ron growled
"I have friends?" Harry asked in a shocked tone "Would those friends be, the know it all bookworm who just testified that I was capable of casting the Unforgivables?" Ron opened his mouth to speak but Harry continued "Or maybe it's the backstabbing redheaded maggot who sold me out for his precious prefects badge and the half a million Galleons you've accumulated from my parents MONEY"
Ron, Molly and Arthur's eyes widened as one and Harry could almost hear them thinking "How did he find out?"
And Harry's answer was simple "Isn't it fun when you have a loyal phoenix that can show you five years worth of meetings in five seconds? Oh and before I forget, that little nest egg Dumbledore paid you to watch me. Has been reclaimed"
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT" Molly screamed
"Oh but I can" Harry said "See, Dumbledore made the mistake of keeping the vault connected to the Potter Trust and when I took control of the trust last week, I liquidated every vault Dumbledore opened in my name"
"You bastard" Ron screamed before he leapt at Harry.
But before he reached his former friend Harry's right hand shot up and caught the taller wizard by the throat.
Harry simply glared at his former friend and lifted him off the ground with one hand and squeezed.
"You're a coward Ron" Harry growled "A dead weight that I intend to drop. I am also making you a promise that if our paths ever cross again. I'll finish what I started today" then Harry simply dropped the redhead coughing and wheezing to the floor and stalked away.
Just as he rounded the corner to the vending machines he was ambushed by a mob of reporters every one of them yelling questions.
The questions continued for a few moments before Harry roared "QUIET" when the group quieted down Harry said "I will make one statement and one statement only. Oh and Rita, if I find that you've twisted my words in the Prophet I will make sure that all the weight I have with the Wizarding Media Association is brought down to make sure that you can't get a job as working for a secondary school paper" the annoying reporter nodded meekly before Harry continued.
"This is the latest of a long string of attacks against my character by the Minister of Magic. For the last year the Minister has gone everything in his power to destroy my credibility.
An unchallenged attack against me in the Daily Prophet.
His right hand woman sends a pair of Dementors to try and suck out my soul on the streets near my own home
He places his right hand woman in a position with the power to torture her charges in the middle of one of most prodigious schools in the Wizarding world.
And now he's accusing me of murder on circumstantial evidence. And I'M the maniac?
If the Minister wants to try and destroy me then he should have some courage and come and face me like a man instead of sneaking around like a thief in the darkness"
Then Harry spun on his heel and stalked past the group to the vending machines at the end of the hall.
When court was back in session Harry sat straight watching Bones for a moment before his eyes snapped to Fudge, the self important turd was smirking as if he knew he would win.
"After reviewing the evidence and testimonies put before me" Bones began "I in my own opinion can find no grounds for the charges that the Minister has brought against Mister Potter-Black and concur with his statement to the press that this is just one more attack against him by the Minister. And it would give me nothing but pleasure to throw this case out, but that decision rests with the jury" then she looked to the jury off to the side "What say you Mr Foreman?"
A well dressed man in grey robes rose to his feet and began to speak "After discussing the topic we concur with you whole heartedly Madame Bones, we find no basis for these charges and demand they be dropped"
"Agreed" Bones said "The charges are dropped CASE CLOSED clear my courtroom" then she banged her gavel
In the same instant Harry rose to his feet and said "I'M OUTTA HERE" then he stormed from the courtroom, hoping to beat the crowds.
Just outside the door he encountered Remus.
Harry stared into the eyes of the last Marauder for a moment before he said "You have two choices Remus, me or Dumbledore, if you side with me, we can leave the country now and prepare for Voldemort, if you side with Dumbledore, the next time we see each other you'll be an enemy, make your choice"
Remus didn't even hesitate "I'm with you Harry, all the way, I've got my stuff with me"
Harry smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Chi-Chi "Got room for an old wolf?"
"Always" Chi-Chi said as she hugged the werewolf.
"Let's get going" Harry said "I need to get out of this building before Dumbledore tries to stop us"
"International Floo" Remus said "It's one floor up"
Harry nodded as he looked towards his solicitor who had just stepped outside "Thanks for the help Gabrial"
"Don't mention it Harry" Grisham said "I've been after an excuse to kick Fudge in the teeth for years"
"Glad to be of service" Harry smirked "Now I gotta go" then Harry jogged down the hall towards the elevators.
After a short elevator ride, the annoyingly happy elevator music included Harry and his group stepped out of the elevator on the third floor.
Only to find Dumbledore and the Weasley's waiting for him.
"I cannot let you leave Harry" Dumbledore said "You are too valuable"
"You can't stop me Dumbledore" Harry said "You know as well as I do what it would do to your credibility of the Great Albus Dumbledore attacked the Boy Who Lived"
"I'll take that chance" Dumbledore replied "Your destiny is to kill Tom and you will do it" then he fired a spell at Harry.
Harry's response was instantaneous. A shining golden aura surrounded him and the spell splashed against it, causing no damage.
Then Harry glared at those around him and with a single gesture the aura pulsed and released a shockwave of energy which blew Dumbledore, Molly, Arthur, Ron and Hermione into the walls.
"So this is the great Dumbledore" Harry muttered "So afraid to lose his power and his life that he would attack someone a tenth of his age to keep it" then Harry took a few steps towards Dumbledore and said "I'm giving you one warning old man. You interfere with my life again. And I'll make your last moments on this earth worse than a hundred Crucios" then Harry stalked down the corridor towards the International Transportation department.
After paying twenty galleons for the floo passage Harry, Gohan, Chi-Chi and Remus stood waiting for their opening in the network.
"Have I ever said I hate Floo travel?" Harry asked
"Your mother was the same" Chi-Chi said "Every time she used it she came close to cracking her skull open on the other end"
"I've never done that" Harry said "But the first time I used it, the bloody thing spat me out in the back of Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley"
"That doesn't sound good" Gohan said
"It's not" Remus replied as another group moved off "That shop sells every kind of Dark artefact you can think of"
"Oh" Gohan murmured
"Next party to China" a ministry official announced
"That's us" Harry said as he and the others stepped forward and into one of the green fires, Chi-Chi holding the floo powder in her hand.
"Ready?" Chi-Chi asked
"Go for it" Harry said
Chi-Chi nodded as she dropped the powder and called out "SON RESIDENCE 439 MOUNTAIN AREA" and a moment later the green fire burst upwards and the group vanished.
DONE. This saga has been completed. Next the training saga will begin and Harry will begin to discover the Power that the Dark Lord Knows Not
See ya.