Amelia produced another parchment – the Auror's report – and handed it to Albus. "Please note that Mister Rowle was found at the scene of a crime. His wand had evidence of several dark curses including the Cruciatus. He was, however, under the Imperius curse himself which was broken when Mister Travers was stunned by myself."
"Objection!" Bootle got to his feet. "My client is not here to defend himself from such a charge."
"I was under the impression that was why you had to be present." Amelia pointed out. "For the record, I wasn't aware that I had actually made any kind of charge against your client." She pinned him with a stern gaze. "Yet."
Sirius hid his snort in his mug of chocolate.
"You implied…" Bootle began.
"I merely related a fact: Mister Rowle regained his senses at the point where Mister Travers was stunned." Amelia said dryly.
"And I…"
"Mister Bootle," Gideon interrupted, "your point is made and I think the Chief Warlock, Lord Greengrass and I are capable of understanding that an implication is not a formal charge." His eyes swept to Amelia. "And we are also capable of separating implications from actual evidence. I suggest we move on."
Amelia nodded briskly. "Mister Rowle, you mentioned that you were paired with Mister Travers; who formed the other pair?"
"Arnold Jugson and Walden MacNair." Rowle stuttered out.
"Objection!" Dotts and Collingworth were on their feet.
"Sit down, gentlemen!" Gideon said firmly. "You have no cause to object to an identification and you can challenge in cross-examination."
Amelia looked as pleased as punch as she sat down.
"Mister Gelding, your defence may begin." Albus instructed.
"Mister Rowle," Gelding began gently, "why did you volunteer to take part in demonstrating loyalty to the Dark Lord?"
"My father…" Rowle swallowed hard, "my father failed a mission once back in…back then." His stricken face looked up suddenly. "The Dark Lord killed my mother to teach my father a lesson. When the Mark grew dark, I was…I was scared. I have a wife! And a son! I thought if we…we were to prove ourselves to the Dark Lord…if I could prove my loyalty then perhaps my family…they wouldn't pay for my sin."
Sirius winced. It was hard not to feel sympathetic.
"On the night of the World Cup, Mister Rowle, why did you change your mind?" Gelding said softly.
"The family that Dennis picked out…" Rowle blinked hard against another onslaught of tears, "the boy…the boy is the same age as mine and Dennis wanted…he said we had to kill him. I couldn't…a child! He was just a child!"
"Objection!" Bootle said again.
Gideon stared him down, visibly perplexed. "On what grounds?"
Bootle shifted his weight. "This is hearsay against my client."
"Which we will get to when we get to your client." Daniel pointed out. "As Gideon has already said in much politer terms, we are not idiots. Sit down."
Bootle shot him a furious look but sat.
Gelding cleared his throat. "After the suggestion was made, what did you do?"
"Refused to go through with it." Rowle said clearly. "But then…I don't understand what happened because I was suddenly standing in front of the tent and the boy…" he choked and had to take a breath, "the boy was on the ground in front of me and my wand was pointing at him, and the Aurors were there, yelling at me to drop my wand!"
Gelding nodded and produced a parchment that went to the three judges. "You will see from this independent Healer's report of the night my client was arrested that he was suffering from the after effects of the Imperius curse." He turned back to Rowle. "Do you regret your actions?"
"Yes," Rowle stated baldly, "I regret ever agreeing to take part in it. I should have…I should have stayed out of it."
Gelding tapped the table in front of him. "The defence rests, gentlemen."
Albus thanked him. "Mister Dotts, do you wish to cross-examine on any part to do with your client?"
Dotts leaped to his feet. "Without wishing to strain the vow you took, how can you be sure that those who volunteered on the same day that you did, Mister Rowle, continued to be the same individuals involved with the unfortunate events on the night of the twenty-fifth of August?"
Rowle looked at him confused. "You mean apart from them getting arrested?"
Dotts had walked into that one, Sirius thought amused.
"Exactly." Dotts said brazening it out. "Did you speak to Mister Jugson at all between the meeting where there was an agreement something should take place and the World Cup?"
"No, I only met with Dennis," admitted Rowle who continued to look confused.
"And on the night of the World Cup, did you speak to Mister Jugson then?" Dotts persisted.
"I, um, think so?" Rowle's uncertainty bled from his every pore.
"Why only think so, Mister Rowle, shouldn't you know who you spoke to?" Dotts asked.
"We were all wearing masks." Rowle said defensively.
Dotts grinned in satisfaction. "Thank you, Mister Rowle."
Collingworth asked the same questions and Sirius decided their defence was going to be lousy if they were going for a 'they didn't really do it' tactic when they'd been caught red-handed.
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