“Mr. Balor,” Umbridge addressed him. Her voice was uncomfortably high pitched and her tone sounded snobbish. “I do not think you are qualified to critique the matters of the council.”

“Then who is?” Sol asked with zeal. “The council has already wrongly imprisoned Sirius Black; can you say for certain that you haven’t done the same to someone else?”

The council immediately started murmuring; though those that were talking were mostly comprised of red-robed councilmen while most of the black-robed councilmen just focused on Sol.

“Order, order!” Fudge brought down the gavel repeatedly. The chattering gradually stopped with each hit of the gavel.

After everyone had stopped, another woman spoke, “While what you say for true, and we can’t say for certain if we have falsely imprisoned another. What does this have to do with the question you were asked?” That woman had short brown hair, sharp eyes, and red rouge on her lips.

Sol inwardly clicked his tongue. Just as he finally got the court flustered enough, she brought the topic back on track. Of course, he didn’t really have a reason for causing problems. Rather, it would be easier for him to simply answer the questions and leave. But he really wanted to cause mayhem here.

“Like I said,” Sol repeated. “If even the Aurors couldn’t catch Pettigrew, what makes you think the Professors or even the Weasleys could catch him? Wouldn’t it be more believable to think that they’d instead alarm Pettigrew allowing him to escape?”

“I see,” the brunette woman nodded understandingly, “In that case, you’d certainly be unable to inform anyone.”

“But!” Umbridge cut in. “Why didn’t you inform the Headmaster?”

Fuck me! These fuckers really are asking the same questions. Sol sighed. He then told them what he said to the Aurors.

“Well, certainly that might be right but what makes you think the Headmaster doesn’t have any magic to see through Animagi?” Umbridge counter-asked.

Sol stood up as he looked at Umbridge with an incredulous look, “Really? Really!?” With every ‘really’, his pitch got higher. “Why are you asking me this? The person in question-” he pointed towards the Headmaster who was sitting there with a calm expression, “-is right there! Ask him!”

“Calm down, Mr. Balor!” Fudge ordered him. He then looked at Dumbledore and asked, “Well then, Albus? Do you have any magic to identify Animagi?”

“Contrary to popular belief,” the Headmaster’s aged voice rang out. The council waited with bated breath for his words. “I do not.”

“I see,” Fudge nodded.

“Mr. Balor,” that brunette woman addressed him, “It seems you are misunderstanding something.”

“That being?”

“This is not a trial for you.”

“But I know that though?”

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow at him. “Then may I ask the reason for you to become so overworked?”

“I don’t know if you know this, Ms…?” Sol looked at her.

“Amelia Bones,” she gave him her name.

Amelia Bones? Sol inwardly questioned. Don’t we have a Susan Bones in Hogwarts? He remembered a meek little Hufflepuff girl. He did not interact with her that much and thus, did not have an impression of her.

“Right, Ms. Bones,” he had an annoyed expression. “But anyone sitting here with more than fifty pairs of eyes staring at them will feel like this. When you’re sitting here and being interrogated, even if you know it to be otherwise, you can’t help but feel like a criminal.”

“While that was the intention we had,” Amelia Bones explained, “that was only catered towards criminals. We are only taking the testament of the witness. The trial is still for Pettigrew.”

“That remains to be seen, Amelia!” Umbridge chimed in. She looked at Sol with a haughty look, “Until we find out what truly happened, we can’t rule out his involvement.”

“I think you are just trying to make it harder for me,” Sol clicked his tongue at her. “Is it because I thought you were a rat?” He looked up at her. “I mean, I-I’m sorry but what can I do if you squeak like one?”

“This-” her nostrils flared “-is not about that. I’m just trying to eliminate all variables and just like you critiqued us, we should be thorough about this!”

“Oh?” he raised his eyebrows, “You’re listening to my words? I thought I wasn’t qualified. What happened to that?”

“Just because you don’t have qualifications, doesn’t mean your words don’t have any truth to them. It just means that they shouldn’t come out of your mouth!”

“Again, then whose mouth should it come out from!?”

“Certainly not yours!”

“Motherfu- hngh!” Sol really wanted to punch someone’s lights out. Right now, he was considering knocking himself out just so he didn’t have to be a part of this insufferable conversation.

“Order!” Fudge brought down his gavel again and the atmosphere became silent. Sol slumped back into his chair as he breathed heavily. This exchange had left him heavily incensed.

“It seems we have learned all that we have to and Mr. Balor,” Fudge put down the document and looked at Sol. “Your words match with this document. You have done well and are thus, permitted to leave.”

“What?” Umbridge looked shocked. “But we still haven’t-”

“Dolores,” Fudge looked at her, “The witness’s trial is done. Case closed. And also-” he then looked towards Dumbledore, “-Albus, why have you come here?”

“I don’t think it’s strange for me to accompany a student of mine who’s also involved in such a big case,” the Headmaster replied nonchalantly.

“I see…” Fudge narrowed his eyes in suspicion but didn’t say anything. Sol got up from his seat and left from where he came with Dumbledore following close behind.

“Please bring Peter Pettigrew here,” he heard Fudge order from behind.

He paid no heed to it and kept walking. As he walked off, he scratched his head and calmed down. This was a very annoying trial. He stopped thinking about it and said aloud, “Headmaster, it seems you have something to say to me?”

“Well,” he chuckled, “you were so deep in thought, Mr. Balor, that I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Please, ask away.”

“I believe you want to ask a favor of me?” Dumbledore looked at his expression.

Sol calmly smiled, “As expected of the Headmaster. I do.”

“And what is that?” Dumbledore looked ahead.

“I’d like you to clear Sirius Black’s name.”

“But why? Pettigrew has been caught, Black will be cleared of any charges.”

“With Wizengamot being as re-” Sol paused. Retarded. That’s the word that came to his lips. He decided to rephrase his words, “With the state of Wizengamot as of now, it’s for certain they’d delay it quite a bit.”

“That’s quite true,” Dumbledore nodded in agreement. “But just like you, everyone else is also quite interested in this case. Once the capture of Pettigrew is publicized, people will start asking questions about Black. And the Ministry has to answer the masses.”

“That’s only if they ever publish news about this incident. I choose to believe that they’ll cover it up just to save their faces.”

“What a cynical yet realistic view on the world, Mr. Balor.” Dumbledore looked at him with interest. “Are you really 14 years old?”

Sol smiled, “I am. Nothing wrong with being a bit precocious, is there?”

“Not a thing.”

“Then Headmaster will you do me this favor?” Sol asked again.

“No need for a favor, Mr. Balor.” Dumbledore smiled calmly, “He’s my student just like you.”

“Then I thank you, Headmaster.” As he said that, they finally reached where Sol’s mother was waiting. Once she saw Sol emerging from the dark corridor, she quickly ran up to him and put him in a bear hug.

“Ow, ow! Mom, not in front of the Headmaster,” Sol struggled to get out from her hug.

“Headmaster?” Selene let him go and looked at him with confusion. Once Dumbledore appeared behind him, she looked flustered as she hastily greeted him, “H-Headmaster Dumbledore! Ah I-I mean, good morning!”

“Good morning to you as well, Selene.” Dumbledore politely greeted her back.

“What is Headmaster doing here?” Selene asked.

Her question actually made Sol realize that he had forgotten to ask that as well. He looked at Dumbledore as he waited for an answer.

“I was worried that Sol over here would overturn the entire council. He is quite mischievous.” When Selene heard his answer, she glared at Sol furiously.

“N-No wait,” he looked at his mother as he tried to explain. “The H-Headmaster’s just joking.” He got a harder glare in response.

“Well,” Dumbledore chuckled as he saw Sol in a pickle. He then looked at Selene, “I must leave now. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yes, it was an honor!” Selene looked like she was about to bow from how polite she was being.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. He then disapparated from there, leaving Sol and Selene behind.

“Well,” Sol spoke up, “can we go home now?”

“Sure,” although Selene agreed, he did not like the menacing smile she had on her face. It was likely that he was going to face hell after returning home.