Professors in Prison

"Order! Be quiet and sit back down." She yelled, her voice amplified by a sonorus charm. Once everyone had returned to their seats, she continued, "As much as I agree with your desire to see how a twelve year old managed to survive such a creature, that is not why we are here today. Miss Granger, is there anything else you wish to say?"

"Some, though I believe I shall wait until Mr. Lockhart has had his say about what we just saw before I do." Hermione said, glaring daggers at the man in question.

"Thank you Miss Granger," The blonde phony said jovially, "Can everybody see me? Can everybody hear me? Good. I'm glad such a device was available. It isn't often so many get to see my heroic efforts, I'm only saddened because they were for not."

"What heroic efforts?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "You attacked two students, even professed to the intent to use memory charms on them."

"I was trying to save them from themselves, you see." Gilderoy waved her objections off, "Everyone knows how dangerous such places are, definitely not the place for school children. I intended to stun them, and return them to the school before battling the beast. They're very lucky I was able to stop one of them from proceeding, a shame I couldn't stop both." As Lockhart got into his groove, he started grandstanding, playing to the audience and ignoring the panel. He also failed to notice Harry move back over beside Professor Flitwick and the pensieve. "Very dangerous creatures, Basilisks, it is fortunate I trained so long in their proper handling. Had the poor boys just listened to me, I could have had it wrangled in under a minute, with no one injured. I'm sorry the boy had to get hurt, but it's really his own fault. This really is something best left to experts such as myself."

"Mr. Lockhart, smile for the Camera!" Harry called, turning the glory hounds attention back towards the wall where the projection was displayed.

"Camera?" Lockhart turned, smiling brightly just as Flitwick activated the pensieve.

Harry had been adamant not to show anything from inside the chamber, but changed his mind as the ponce had belittle his near death experience. Wrangle in less than a minute you say? Harry had pulled a very specific fragment from the chamber, a mere five seconds. It was from the chase through the pipes, where the Basilisk had been right in front of him. The projection showed Harry's view of the creature, almost as large as it was in person, on the wall. Lockhart's scream was high pitched, shrill, and cut short as he collapsed boneless to the floor.

"Sorry Madam Director," Harry said to the stunned silence, "But I was afraid that once he got going he'd never stop."

Silence answered him. Looking around, he saw everyone staring at the wall where the projection had been, jaw gaping open. He looked up at the panel, and saw them just as frozen, just as shocked at what had just been seen. He turned to the Headmaster, and saw awe in his face, along with quite a bit of fear. He turned back to Hermione, and just had time to brace before he found himself wrapped in a bone crushing hug and her body shook in sobs, startling everyone back to the present. His mind barely registered a single set of purposeful footsteps walking up the hall as he wrapped his arms around Hermione to try and comfort her. It was several minutes before the hubbub died and Director Marchbanks regained some semblance of order.

"May I speak?" A clear authoritative voice asked, and all turned to the middle aged redhead witch standing behind the podium.

"Director Bones, I didn't realize you were here Ma'am." Marchbanks said in surprise, "Of course you may speak."

"For those who don't know me, I am Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." The woman introduced herself with authority, then turned to harry and said in a kinder voice. "My niece told me I should be here today, she's one of the ones that helped you research everything Mr. Potter."

"Susan, Ma'am?"

"Yes indeed, who do you think she tested the letter altering ward with?" She confirmed before turning back to the audience. "What I saw here today, leaves me with many concerns. As an Auror, how such a creatures attacks could be kept from their parents and why it took so long to correct shake me to my core. My own niece, my daughter in all but name, goes to school here, and she was in as much danger as anyone, and that scares me as a parent. The apparent level of adoration this man achieved on lies concerns me as a citizen. Unfortunately, even with all that, I must close this review."

The shouts of outrage, everyone assuming she was covering this all up, were loud, but quickly silenced with a few cannon blast spells.

"As I was saying," She continued, her full authority filling her voice, "I must close this review because this man is now under arrest." Hushed silence reigned. "The charges will be 732 counts of reckless endangerment of a minor, Fraud, two counts of assault on a minor, two counts of attempted manslaughter, two counts of Conspiracy to assault a minor, Attempted illegal Obliviation, and as many other charges as we may find as we tear his life apart." She looked down at the crumpled for of Gileroy Lockhart, a pool of yellow liquid spreading from beneath him. "Auror Shacklebolt, Arrest this man."

The roars and cheers lasted a very long time.

"Mr. Kare," Madam Bones spoke again once Lockhart had been hauled away to the ministry. "Unfortunately your testimony would be inadmissible in a Wizengamot court hearing, which is the next place this tale will be told. I don't agree with that particular law, but it is the law."

"I understand Director." Kare answered her as he stood.

"Therefore, I would like to send two of my Aurors with you to collect statements from the rest of your village when you return home." Amelia's voice carried a mischievous tone, "You're testimony may not be permissible, but their testimony certainly will be."

"Thank you Madam Director." Kare bowed to the redhead.

"As for you two," She turned to Harry and Hermione, "I can't let you prosecute this case before the Wizengamot, or my prosecutor would be out of a job the next day." Her grin was infectious. "That said, I'd like you two to turn over all your evidence, and your notes to him, so we make sure everything we can charge him with sticks."

"Of course ma'am," Hermione agreed.

"One last thing, Mr. Potter." She looked at the small boy before her. "You really killed that thing?"

"Yes Ma'am," Harry sighed, knowing what was to come.

"First off, I'm amazed you survived, much less killed it." Madam Bones told him, "I know it's early yet, but please consider becoming an Auror when you graduate, i could use men of your talent."

"Thank you for the offer," Harry Blushed, "But I had help, it wasn't just me."

"I see," Amelia paused, "Would you be willing to allow me to view the memory of the battle? No one has fought of killed a basilisk in Britain in generations, and certainly not one that large."

"I…" Harry hesitated, "There are other things involved director, things that if they ever came to light, could hurt people I care about. Not because they did something wrong, but because they were involved." He glanced at Hermione, busy packing her notes, and turned back to the Director. "That said you are in a position to possibly help. If you give me your word to consider carefully before acting, I'll give you the memory. It'll have a lot of information for you to work off of, including Voldemort's real name. And another memory of a certain pompous blonde 'upstanding' member of society who cause the whole thing attempting murder. Are you sure you want it?""

"Hell yes I do."