Disclaimer: The sandbox belongs to JKR and Marvel. I'm just borrowing the sandcastle.

PROLOGUE: HOW DID IT COME TO THIS

Harry Potter landed in the stadium holding onto the body of Cedric Diggory, tears running down his face as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchecraft and Wizardry and Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic rushed over to them.

"Professor, he's back. Voldemort has his body back!" Harry cried out as he looked up at Dumbledore.

Before Dumbledore could say a word, the Minister looked down to see the body of Cedric Diggory lying there, lifeless with his eyes open.

"Good Lord, that boy is dead!" Cornelius exclaimed as he processed what he was seeing. "Aurors, arrest Potter for the murder of Cedric Diggory!" Fudge commanded and the two Aurors with him grabbed Harry by the arms to lift him away.

Amos Diggory rushed past them and dropped to the ground to gather his son's deaad body in his arms, crying out at the loss of his son.

"Not my boy! My son!" then his eyes took on a maniacal gleam as he turned to look at Harry, "I swear you'll pay for this Potter. You'll spend the rest of your life in Azkaban and you'll pay for this every day of it!"

"I DIDN'T KILL HIM! IT WAS VOLDEMORT!" Harry screamed out, then he was stunned by the Auror that had stood behind the other two.

"He could be telling the truth, Cornelius." Dumbledore ventured, knowing at least one secret about Harry that nobody else was aware of.

"Nonsense, Dumbledore. Can't you see the boy killed young Diggory as is trying to cause a panic to get out of it!" Fudge said sarcastically as he turned back to the Aurors, "Take him to a holding cell in the ministry. We will hold a trial for him tomorrow."

"Really, Cornelius. Do you think it's such a good idea to act in such haste. We don't have a true idea as to what took place. To act in such haste is really inadvisable." Dumbledore said, trying to slow things down and hopefully save Harry.

But this appeared to be a hopeless case as Harry and the two aurors were port-keyed away from the stadium. When Dumbledore turned to his students, he found himself faced with both Harry's friends as well as most of Gryffindor House.

"What happened, Headmaster? Why did they take Harry? Where did they take Harry?" Hermione aqsked rapid-fire.

"They have taken Harry to the ministry to learn what haappened to Mr. Diggory." Dumbledore said, sounding tired.

Before any more questions could be asked, Professor McGonagall turned up and sent the students back to the castle. Then she turned to her friend and mentor.

"What has happened, Albus? Why did they take Mr. Potter away?" she asked.

"When they returned, Mr. Diggory was dead. His life taken according to Harry Potter by Lord Voldemort." Albus said with a tired sigh.

"Dear sweet Merlin! Mr. Potter would never do something like that!" Minerva exclaimed.

"I want to believe that as well my dear, but the proof is staring us in the face.' he said pointing to Amos and Cedric's body, "Who really knows what changes this tournament has wrought in young Harry. I can only hope that he is not beyond redemption." Albus said in a long suffering tone as they watched Amos levitate Cedric's body and take it to the castle.

MINISTRY OF MAGIC THREE DAYS LATER

COURTROOM 10

The Wizengamot was convened and Cornelius Fudge was sitting as Chief Warlock, after having called Dumbledore into question for his closeness to Harry Potter.

"This session of the Wizengamot is now called to order for the trial of Harry James Potter! Bring in the accused!" Fudge commanded.

A circle in the center of the chamber vanished and Harry rose from the floor, chained to the chair of the accused.

"Let the record show that the defendant is now present. Chair for the case, Cornelius Oswald Fudge. Prosecutor Amos Diggory, Defense..." Cornelius looked around,"oh dear, it would seem the witness has no one to stand in his behalf."

Harry looked around and found that he was truly alone. Dumbledore wouldn't even look at him or try to meet his eyes. Everyone else just looked at him and there was only hostility in their gazes while the Death Eaters he recognized stared at him smugly.

"We are here to judge the innocence of Harry James Potter and decide his sentence for the death of Cedric Diggory. That said, let the trial commence." Fudge announced.

As Harry was forced to sit and listen, the witnesses were called one at a time and gave their testimony. At first it was about his performances in the tournament, then his attitudde towards the event and the organizers. But then it changed pace when Ron was called.

"We now call to the stand one Ronald Bilious Weasley the best friend of Harry Potter!" Fudge announced and the doors opened.

Harry's hopes went up as he thought that there was some hope for him. He was convinced that his best friend would tell the truth and help his case. But those hopes were soon dashed.

"Mr. Weasley, what can you tell us about Mr. Potter's descent into darkness?" Amos asked.

"Well, I never thought he'd go dark. Not after what he said he'd been through. Always wearing rags to school, trying to pretend to be one of us. But when this thing started, he lied to us about putting his name in the Goblet. Then he started going off by himself to study. He just brooding and wouldn't even talk to us anymore." Ron testified.

"That's because everybody turned their backs on me. They all acted like I dd something wrong!" Harry shouted at him.

"You did something wrong alright, Potter! You killed a guy!" Ron shouted back, " He was studying some pretty dark stuff from what I heard from Hermione." he added.

"Hermione! Call Hermione and she'll tell you what I was studying. She helped me study for the tournament!" Harry said as he grasped at this idea.

"ORDER! BE SILENT, MR. POTTER! You will have your turn to testify." Fudge said banging his gavel. "Miss Granger has refused to testify due to the mental stress she is under. Now, is there annything else Mr. Diggory."

"No, Minister. I have no more questions for this witness." Amos said smugly.

"Mr. Weasley, you are free to go. You may go to the visitors section if you choose." Fudge said in dismissal and Ron did just that.

"WAIT!Don't I get to question the witnesses?" Harry demanded.

"Silence, Mr. Potter. Without defense counsel, you are not free to question anyone." Fudge sneered at him.

"Terrific! Victim of a kangaroo court. I volunteer to take a truth potion." Harry saidd quickly.

"Veritaserum is too valuable to waste on a half-blood like you." A toad-faced woman dressed in pink simpered.

That's when Harry knew he wasn't going to have a fair chance at all. That's when he made his own decision about what was next.

"Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, you have heard the evidence for yourselves. I ask you now to vote. All those for innocent?" Fudge called and only three wands were lit up. Surprisingly, none of these belonged to Dumbledore. "All those for guilty?" Fudge continued and all but those three were lit up.

"If it please the court, I would like to speak for a momen." Dumbledore said, standing.

Harry's hopes went up that the Headmaster would be able to do something to change this farce of a trial.

"If you must, Albus." Cornelius said with a put-upon air.

"I know that you have all judged Mr. Potter guilty and the evidence is over-whelming, but even he deserves a second chance at some point. The normal punishment for his crime would be the Kiss. But due to circumstances beyond our control, I ask that this punishment be commuted to life in Azkaban. Mr. Potter and his family did this country an ove-whelming service when they stopped Voldemort from rising to power and that should be taken into account." Dumbledore extolled.

"We will deliberate and return a sentence shortly." Fudge said and the lower chambers were cast into silence while Dumbledore approached Harry to try and talk to him.

"Why did you do it, Harry? It was a contest not a life or death struggle." Dumbledore asked sadly.

"But I didn't do it, Professor. Wormtail was there and he cast the curse with Voldemort's wand!" Harry explained.

"Harry, these denials of guilt will only hurt your case more. You must repent and atone for your actions." Dumbledore pontificated.

"So after four years, you're just going to throw me to the wolves, too? I thought you knew me." Harry said sadly.

"Alas, I thought I did too. I never would have believed before now that you would stoop to such methods over a contest." Dumbledore replied.

"A contest that you knew I didn't want any part in. But you still set me up as bait. Then when everything went to shite, you just throw me away like the Dursley's did!" Harry returned scathingly, "That's fine. I shouldn't have expected any better from your world than mine. But guess what. You can all go to hell, you old hypocrite!"

"Name calling doesn't really show remorse. Perhaps you just need to see the right path." Dumbledore tried to reprove him.

Harry just turned away and refused to look at him or answer him. With a sigh, Dumbledore returned to his seat. Harry just sat back with his eyes closed and waited for his verdict. He knew that it wouldn't be good.

Shortly there after, the spell was ended and the sound brought him out of his self-imposed silence. He looked up to see Fudge looking down at him with an almost sadistic glee.

"Harry James Potter, you have been found guilty of the murder of Cedric Diggory, heir of House Diggory. We, the Wizengamot, have decreed that we will be merciful due to the former services you have rendered to our country, instead of the Kiss, you will be confined to Azkaban prison's high security ward and all of your wealth and assets placed in the custody of House Diggory. So Mote It Be!" Fudge declared as he banged down his gavel.

The Aurors removed him from the the chair and were dragging him away when Ron appeared from one side with a smug smile.

"Now she's all mine, you prick! Enjoy the Dementors.!" he laughed.

When they got outside the courtroom doors, Remus came up and hit him in the gut. "Your Parents would be ashamed of what you've become." he spat as he hit him again to break his jaw.

"Screw you, Moony!" he managed to spit back at the werewolf as he was dragged away.

From there he was taken to the DMLE and port-keyed away to Azkaban to begin serving his sentence.

"The stupid bastards are on their own. Never again." Harry thought to himself once he was flung into his cell.

Author's note: This is the beginning of the re-write i promised. I hope you enjoy.