Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or universe. No offense is meant by the situations portrayed in this or any other fanworks.
A/N: Chapter One of Prisoners of Azkaban should appear in under my written works. Brace yourselves!
Also, one of my reviews guessed one of the subplots for PoA. I don't want to say which one, but it's very exciting. I'm not as happy with this story compared to the first one, but I was doing a lot during the writing of this so I hope PoA goes better. If you're still sticking with me, thank you!
As always, thank you to everyone reads/reviews/follows whatever. I love it all. Even if I don't know about it I probably love it.

Chapter Fifteen: Cornelius Fudge

Later that day, Hattie had been called back to Dumbledore's office. Hermione, Ron, and the others had not yet been roused, and Hattie walked in without a skip under her heel. When she stepped into Dumbledore's office she saw Professor Lockhart sitting in the chair across from Dumbledore's desk, with Dumbledore sitting behind his desk and Snape taking his vulture-like position behind Dumbledore's desk.

Where Professor McGonagall usually stood (that is, parallel to Snape), a stranger with rumpled gray hair, a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. She suspected the lime-green bowler on Dumbledore's desk was the man's because it seemed beyond Dumbledore's taste. "Hattie," Dumbledore said, motioning for her to take a seat, "this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Tell him what happened."

Fudge gave her an acknowledging nod. She looked curiously at Lockhart, who stared at his shiny, periwinkle-blue shoes. While they were quite eye-catching, Hattie didn't think that was the reason he was staring at them.

"Vincent Crabbe assaulted me. Voldemort-" Hattie couldn't help seeing Cornelius Fudge flinch, though no one else did. She repeated, "Voldemort was living on the back of the boy's head, like with Professor Quirrell last year. They petrified me and they attacked me. Professor Lockhart stumbled onto us and Crabbe attacked him." Hattie paused before saying, "So Professor Lockhart retaliated."

"What spells, exactly, did everyone use?" Fudge asked.

Hattie eyes shifted between Dumbledore and Fudge, with Dumbledore giving a comforting nod. "Crabbe used the Killing Curse," Hattie said. "And Professor Lockhart used it in retaliation, but I'm not-"

"You do realize the seriousness of using Unforgivable Curse?" Fudge asked.

Hattie was mad because he interrupted. She did not like this man. "Well, they sound pretty unforgivable, but I think Professor Lockhart had to act quickly and used the first spell that came to mind."

Snape noted, "Professor Lockhart is not known for his quick thinking."

Fudge nodded seriously. "He will go to trial," he said, "and he will wait in Azkaban."

Lockhart laughed. "Surely you're not serious, Minister."

"Celebrity does not excuse oneself from Unforgivable Curses," Fudge replied. "Ministry's got to act. I'm very serious, Mr. Lockhart."

Hattie had the feeling that there was something else Fudge didn't like, but she couldn't put her finger on what. Lockhart, however, lost all of the remaining colour in his face. "I can't go to Azkaban," he said. "I can't."

"For a short stretch only. Only until your trial." Fudge said. "Unless you're sentenced there."

Lockhart looked like he could break into tears at any moment. "Hattie," he said, dropping to his knees and crawling in front of her. "Hattie you have to help me. You saw what I did, and you saw why I did it. You have to tell them."

Hattie couldn't believe that she wanted to help him, but she did. She may not like the man, but she couldn't let this happen to him. He certainly didn't deserve Azkaban. She heard stories about it from Fred and George. "I will," Hattie said. "I'll tell them."

Snape put his hand on Lockhart's shoulder. Lockhart started weeping at Hattie's feet. Fudge looked around the room nervously, as if someone else was going to see. "Stand up," Snape said. "I will escort you there."

"No, I," Lockhart stood up, abruptly. "I should stay here. It's safe here. I can't hurt anyone here. Albus Dumbledore is here and he'll keep an eye on me."

"Albus cannot be everywhere," Fudge said.

"Please do not get hysterical, Gilderoy," Snape said.

"Severus," Lockhart said, grabbing onto his arms. "I know we've never exactly been friends, but you could take care of me. You could watch me. You wouldn't let them take me to Azkaban, would you? You know I'd never hurt anyone."

"Please," Snape replied, tried to brush Lockhart's arms off of him. "I have no intention of babysitting you. If you do not go calmly, and if this trial does not go well, someone might go digging and looking for things to further your sentence."

Lockhart began, "I don't…" He looked at Snape who kept his apathetic expression.

"Come along," Snape said.

"Yes," Lockhart said.

Snape and Lockhart left the room. Fudge moved towards the exit, but turned to Hattie. "I can trust that you will testify at his trial?"

"Yes," Hattie said. "I will."

He hesitated then added, "With or without the You-Know-Who nonsense."

"With," Hattie said, clearly disgusted.

Fudge simply shrugged before leaving Dumbledore's office. Hattie stood up. "What nonsense?" Hattie demanded. "Does he seriously not believe Voldemort-"

"Relax," Professor Dumbledore said, smiling. "Just tell the truth and things should be fine."

Hattie exhaled. "You believe me though, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "I am familiar with what happened last year."

"So it wouldn't be unreasonable to say he was protecting me from Voldemort?" Hattie said.

Dumbledore leaned forward on his desk, looking up at Hattie through his half-moon spectacles. "Now, that will be your choice, Hattie, but Lockhart did not know Voldemort was on the back of Crabbe's head. One could argue that he wasn't even aware he had been travelling across the heads of Slytherin students."

Hattie nodded. "I understand," she said. "You're right. He just knew someone attacked me and moved onto him."

She slumped back down into the chair, prepared to stay a while. "What do I do about Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore? Is this what it's going to be like every year?"

"For your sake, Hattie, I surely hope not," he replied.

"I'm not ready to face him," Hattie stated. "I can't believe I faced Tom Riddle. I hardly remember it, just fragments of his face. Merlin, he was young."

"You will not have to face him," Dumbledore said. "Not yet. The year's almost over, and once you are with your Aunt, you will be safe."

"Who are you going to get to replace Lockhart?" Hattie asked. "Someone who can actually teach us, I hope?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I am afraid Lockhart was not as successful as I had hoped, but I suppose he worked out in the end for you."

Hattie laughed. "Yeah, he's not a terrible guy, just a rubbish wizard. So who else do you have lined up?"

"Nothing's certain yet," Dumbledore said, implying that he wanted to say nothing more.

Hattie decided to end the conversation there. She felt like she should have more to say, but she thought of nothing. So she thanked him and excused herself.

Dumbledore said just before she left, "Before you go back to Gryffindor Tower, I would suggest making a stop at the Hospital Wing."

Hattie stopped. "Really?" Hattie asked.

Dumbledore nodded and Hattie tore out of Dumbledore's office. She ran to the Hospital Wing to see her friends sitting up in bed. Hermione stood up so Hattie could hug her tightly. "You wouldn't believe it!" Hattie said.

"Neville's already told us a ton of it," she said. She added, sounding like a teacher, "I'm very impressed with you two."

Neville beamed again. "And we got 100 points each," he said. "That's 100 points for Gryffindor that I got."

"We know, Neville," Ron said.

"How's Draco?" Hermione asked, lowering her voice.

"Annoying," Neville said.

"He's trying to make up for us saving him," Hattie said. "He's being a real jerk about it."

"I wish we could have told you it was him," Hermione said.

"When we stepped out of the Great Hall, I saw Draco, and I said, 'You may have bought your way onto the team, but even your father doesn't have enough money to make you fly better than Hattie'," Ron said. "Next thing we know, we're heading to the Quidditch pitch from the Common Room, Hermione's shooting out a mirror to check around corner and there it is!"

Hattie beamed from the pride welling up inside of her. Ron stood up for her and even when she thought he was mad at her! "It must have been right before the game," Hattie said, adding, "thanks Ron."

Ron simply nodded in response, as if he was expected to make a comment like that. They headed back towards the Common Room, Hermione and Neville chatting quickly. Hermione, Ron, and the other students that had been petrified would be taking a summer correspondence course to be making up for the missed class time. "Exams during the summer," Ron scoffed to Hattie. "I won't get a break at all."

"I'm sorry," Hattie said.

Ron shrugged. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"I mean," Hattie started, "I'm sorry I didn't finish the wizard's chess game with you."

Ron replied, "Oh, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Hattie asked.

"Yes," Ron said, sternly, suggesting it wasn't nothing. "And can you believe Hermione? She's excited we get to work through summer. She's completely mental. Figures I'd have to be petrified with her."

"Well I've already learned this junk," Hattie said. "I could help you with it."

"Yeah?" Ron asked. "Hermione will be too bossy about it. Yeah, I'll get your help instead."

Hattie beamed again. At least Ron preferred her help over Hermione's. Now she had to relearn everything she didn't bother learning this year so she could actually teach Ron.

Relearning didn't turn out to be too difficult. Hermione was determined to study with Neville and Hattie to get a leg-up on her correspondence summer courses, and Hattie found the material floating back to her, except for History of Magic which stayed in the dusty cobwebs section of her brain.

Exams shot by quickly for Hattie, as they always seemed to, and Lockhart lingered in the back of her mind. While she bombed a Defence Against the Dark Arts exam (because she only knew information about Lockhart), he sat in Azkaban. She heard Azkaban wasn't pleasant, and as soon as summer hit, Aunt Petunia and herself would have to make a trip to see him there. Lockhart's lawyer suggested it, and while Hattie had no desire to visit him, Aunt Petunia made Hattie go as punishment for going after the Basilisk.

"I could go with you," Hermione said to Hattie at the final feast of the term at Hogwarts. "I'd be interested in seeing Azkaban. I've heard about the guards and I think it would be good to experience them first hand."

"Why would it be good to experience them first hand?" Ron asked, completely taken aback.

"I have no desire to have my essence drained from me," Neville said, crossing his arms across his chest. "No way, you're on your own Hattie."

"You've seen them before?" Hermione asked, perking up. "Really?"

Neville shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Well, you know, my mum and dad have put a lot of people into Azkaban," Neville said. "I haven't seen them, no, but I've heard about it."

"Maybe Neville's parents could escort us, Hattie," Hermione said.

"I think we'll be fine," Hattie said. "My Aunt and I. I mean, it should be safe, right? They can't just let anyone walk in and out of a dangerous place."

The other three were completely quiet, and at this moment Dumbledore chose to speak. The entire school was decked out in Gryffindor colours. Neville's extra 100 points put Gryffindor in the lead. At least, that's what Hattie said. It could easily have been her 100 points, or the points she helped to win in Quidditch, but she firmly stood behind the idea that Neville was the one who helped Gryffindor win.

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as Dumbledore confirmed their win. It was the first Gryffindor win in seven years. They had won the House Cup! Well, they had helped. Hattie looked from the beaming Professor McGonagall to the simmering Professor Snape, and the joy inside her couldn't be suppressed. The Quartet promptly forgot about their thoughts of Azkaban and stuffed their faces in celebration (Ron and Hattie more so than Neville and Hermione).

Hattie felt happy and relaxed when she was on the Hogwarts Express. Ginny, Neville, Colin, Hattie, Hermione, and Ron all managed to get a compartment to themselves and played a few games of exploding snap. Colin had been thrilled to see Neville's photographs, especially considering everything he missed out on. Hattie noticed Colin began clinging to Neville about as much as he clung to Ginny. Hermione would worry about it, but Hattie wouldn't think twice.

Hattie found her Aunt at the King's Cross with the Weasley's. It looked like she had driven them again with the help of Hagrid's extension charm. Hattie didn't leave her luggage to run and hug her Aunt. She pulled it all, including the squawking Hedwig, right to where the three waited. Then she hugged her Aunt tightly, breathing in the foreign smells of her new flat. She felt her Aunt hug her back, putting a hand on Hattie's head, and Hattie felt safe – a safety that she wouldn't feel again in the humid, summer months.