I'M ALIVE! I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted! A thousand apologies to everyone who was waiting on an update on this. I have been so stuck on this chapter - even when I can find time to sit down and write I just can't get the words out! Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed or sent me a PM, I only saw the PMs today and so I'm sorry for not replying, and to the anonymous reviewers - I will definitely complete this series, even if it takes me some time to finish it. I am actually really looking forward to writing the last one - I have some extracts written already that I can't wait to put into context! The only reason that I didn't make a post to address this before is that I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up that it was a new chapter - I know how disappointing that can be.

I have recently been getting really into writing my Merlin fic (Intergalactic Destiny) lately and wanted to get another chapter of this out before I put the new chapters of it first, as I know this is more popular than it. (I'm not even sure anyone reads the Merlin one...) So just to let you know, I am definitely continuing to write this story, I have not given up on it, even if it takes me a while to get chapters out in the future. I will be updating the Merlin story more often now as I have lots of inspiration for it, though I will continue to work on this one when I get the inspiration, so it will be updated, but very sporadically.

On that note, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter Five

Days passed in a very similar way from then on. Carla was so pleased with our cleaning of the ballroom that she set us a room to clean each day. Nobody was particularly enthusiastic, especially not the twins. It was no secret that Carla's main motivation was to keep us away from the Order's meetings. Carla still wasn't moved by the twins' arguments that now that they were of age they should be allowed in on the meetings.

Either way we didn't have much of a choice, so we made the best of it. And if we left the actual cleaning until just before Carla came to check on us? Well.

A little over a week later Carla handed me an envelope at breakfast. "This came with the post." She said as she handed it over, gaze flickering worriedly to the envelope. I saw why when I turned it over to open it. At the sight of the Ministry seal I froze. This would be news of my hearing, then.

I shook off the sudden nerves that had come over me. Logically I knew they couldn't actually charge me with anything. What I did was perfectly legal.

Logic probably didn't have much to do with it though, judging by the articles the Prophet had been printing all summer.

Opening the envelope, I saw that it was indeed the date of my hearing, a week from now. The letter was short and concise, containing the date, time, and place of my hearing, and little else.

Carla was still hovering nervously as I wordlessly passed her the letter when I was finished, Antonio crowding her to read it over her shoulder.

Rai stayed at the table with me and grinned, trying to cheer me up again. "Day trip to the Ministry, huh? Who knows, maybe you'll be running the place someday. Dashi knows you're smart enough." He added with a wink.

His teasing got a smile out of me, though I ducked my head in an attempt to hide my blush. I knew he didn't mean anything by it, but that didn't change how it made me feel.

We didn't talk any more about the hearing after that, and the next thing I knew it was the night before and I was seated on my bed, staring at the clothes Carla had left out for me.

"It'll be okay, you know." I heard Maria say from behind me "They have nothing they can charge you on."

"Yeah," I sighed, collapsing backwards onto the bed. "I'm just nervous, I guess."

"It'll be okay." Maria repeated, moving to pull me to my feet. "Now come on. You need a good night's rest for tomorrow!"

Morning saw me sat at the kitchen table, idly pushing the breakfast Carla had placed before me around the plate.

"You gotta eat your food, not play with it." Rai sat down beside me and I turned to face him, eyeing him and how he was dressed. "What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he stole a sausage from my plate.

"You're up. And dressed."

"So?" he questioned with a shrug, now eating a second sausage he had pilfered from my plate.

"It's 7am."

"I can get up early." I raised my eyebrows. "I can!" he protested.

"Why are you up and dressed?" I finally asked, fighting a smile.

"I'm coming with you." He said simply. "Moral support," was all he offered as a reason, though we both knew it was to keep me from panicking. He had already calmed me down enough to be able to actually eat my breakfast.

"Thanks," I offered as I turned back to my plate.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see him smile, softer than his usual cocky smirk. "No problem." Then the smirk returned. "Just don't make a habit of it."

We set off for the Ministry early; earlier than Antonio would usually leave, as we had to go 'The Muggle Way' Antonio insisted, much to his own excitement. It was strange, seeing Antonio's excitement and fascination in the face of objects I barely noticed anymore. The ticket barriers and escalators had Antonio practically vibrating in place while Rai eyed him, eyebrow raised incredulously.

"Dad come on." Rai practically yelled in frustration as Antonio swiped his ticket at the barrier for the fifth time, watching wide-eyed as the plastic parted to let him through. "You're going to be late."

Swiping his card a final time, Antonio walked through the barrier, scurrying as though he expected the plastic doors to close on him. "Amazing." He commented – for the umpteenth time that morning alone – with a huge grin on his face. Rai shook his head in exasperation, looking to me despairingly as I tried to keep a straight face.

The rest of the journey passed in much the same way - Rai and I holding in giggles, and some embarrassment on Rai's part, as Antonio continued to stare in awe at all the mundane habits and innovations of muggle life.

When we arrived at our stop Rai practically had to drag his dad from the window, where he was pressed tightly against it, trying to catch a glimpse of the train's exterior as it sped along the tracks, muttering "fascinating" and "so clever".

Eventually we arrived at the Ministry, mostly on time - the only reason we were remotely on time due, no doubt, to Rai and me intervening. Otherwise we'd probably still be at that first automated turnstile.

The Ministry was large and grand, not overly opulent but certainly more so than I am used to after papa's preference for modern, often minimalist design; and the stone, medieval feel of Hogwarts.

Rai had clearly been with his dad to work before as he seemed to know his way around, keeping pace with his dad and steering him in the right direction as he continued expounding enthusiastically about the muggle public transport system.

We were interrupted, however, on our way to Antonio's office by another Ministry employee.

"Antonio?" the wizard came to a stop beside us, his eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be down at the Courtrooms by now?"

"The Courtrooms? Why would I be down there, Tom?" Antonio replied. Rai and I exchanged uneasy glances. Something wasn't right…

Tom's brow smoothed out, realisation – and a hint of worry – coming over his face. "You didn't get the owl?"

"What owl?" Antonio asked weakly, worry coming over his own face.

"They changed her hearing," Tom explained with a nod towards me and a sympathetic wince. "It's at 10am, down in Courtroom 10."

"At 10!?" Antonio yelped, grasping for his pocket watch. "But that's in five minutes! It was supposed to be 11:30!"

With a glance at each other, the three of us turned on our heels and sprinted back to the lift we had passed in the lobby, Antonio calling a harried thanks to Tom over his shoulder as we went, promising to catch up with him later.

Following our mad dash for the lift; Rai's persistent hammering on the button, as though it would make it arrive any faster; we soon crammed into the lift, and stood fidgeting restlessly as we waited to reach our destination.

The nerves I had been ignoring for the last week hit me in full force as the automated voice announced our arrival at the Courtrooms' floor. Mind racing, I followed Rai and Antonio to the end of the corridor, where we came to a stop outside a huge, imposing black door.

As I stared at the door before me, I was pulled into a hug.

"Good luck," I heard Rai's voice whisper in my ear as he tightened his arms around me.

I hugged him back tightly, and alright, maybe I was savouring the moment a bit – just a little! – but in my defence, I could walk through that door and be kicked out of school for protecting myself from Dementors. Dementors that I'm still not entirely sure why they were roaming the streets of Tokyo in the first place!

I managed a weak smile for Rai as he released me, not wanting to add to the worry I could see in his eyes.

Antonio clapped me on the shoulder with a reassuring nod, before both he and Rai took a step back, leaving me by the door.

Turning to face the imposing door to Courtroom 10, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I willed away the anxiety I was feeling. I opened them again with nothing but determination on my mind, and I opened the door and stepped inside.

When I stepped back through that door, on shaky legs, my eyes landed on Rai and Antonio. Antonio was leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor, eyes tracking Rai as he paced up and down.

Both of their heads turned as the door fell shut behind me with a thud. Rai came to a halt in his pacing, and Antonio straightened up from his slouching against the wall, watching as I came closer.

Eventually I couldn't take the anxious anticipation on their faces, and the reality of the last half an hour sank in, and I felt a smile taking over my face.

"Cleared of all charges," I burst out giddily when I had nearly reached the pair of them. Both broke out into huge grins at the news, and Rai ran the last few steps to reach me and pulled me into another hug, lifting me off my feet and spinning me round as we both laughed with relief.

We were interrupted by the door to Courtroom 10 opening once again and Master Fung, and the rest of the witches and wizards who had been present during the hearing exited the chamber.

Rai set me back on my feet again, and we both watched Master Fung walking past, not giving either of us a second glance. "That's weird," Rai muttered, glancing at me with a furrowed brow. "He didn't even look at us."

"He wouldn't look at me once during the trial, either," I said quietly, ignoring Rai's concerned look and attempting to swallow down the bitterness. I couldn't deny that it hurt, quite a bit.

"That's the entire Wizengamot," Antonio spoke up from where he had come up behind the two of us. I simply nodded in response. "But that would mean…"

"Yeah," I murmured, watching as the last of the dark robed figures disappeared around the corner, Madam Bones sending me a small smile as she went. "It was a full criminal trial."

I felt Rai's hand slip into mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I knew he probably saw the same connection I did, the large crowd of figures clad in dark robes…

I shook it off, turning back to face Antonio, who was casting about for words; "But- That- That's ridiculous! How can they justify-"

Antonio's voice cut off, face freezing in a shocked expression, gaze fixed on the doorway to Courtroom 10 as it opened again.

As Rai and I turned to see what had Antonio so spooked, I felt Rai's grip tighten considerably around my hand, and when I saw who had just exited the Courtroom.

The Minister, the horrid pink woman from the trial and Pedro were standing in the doorway, Pedro, too, was frozen, staring at his dad and brother. The Minister and the pink woman seemed to finish their conversation and she made her exit, giving me a sour look as she passed.

Though, to be fair, I hadn't seen her make any other expression, so maybe that was just her?

The Minister soon left too, Pedro following behind without another glance at his family. Until now I don't think I'd fully believed that Pedro could turn his back on his family the way I had been told. He had always been a bit more distant than the rest of the Pedrosas, and I hadn't known him as well, but this wasn't something I had expected from him.

The two Pedrosas continued to stare down the corridor after Pedro disappeared for a few moments, before Antonio cleared his throat. "Right," he muttered casting his gaze about. "Thank goodness that's over. Well, let's head back up to my office, shall we?"

Antonio strode towards the lift, tension still evident in his shoulders. Rai still hadn't moved since Pedro had appeared, and when I glanced at him, he was still staring down the corridor where his brother had left, a forlorn expression on his face.

I gave his hand a squeeze and when he turned to look at me, I nodded my head down the corridor back towards the lift, offering a small smile and getting a weak one in return as we followed Antonio to the lift.

Yeah, I maaaaay have chickened out on the trial, but I felt that it would be just re-hashing the scene from the book, and I'd rather tell the story when retelling it to the others, rather than telling it twice, as I have plans for how that conversation is going to go when they get back to Grimmauld Place and tell it to the others.