Trial of Kaiia Blackthorn [INNOCENT]

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

This is the trial of Mrs Kaiia Talvi Blackthorn



Age: twenty-nine

Crimes

* Treason
* Conspiracy
* Assaulting an Auror


Head Judge: Juliette Henderson (Minister for Magic)

Jurors: Sara Templeton (Headmistress of Hogwarts)

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia waited outside the courtroom, her eyes fixed on the door in front of her. She gave not the slightest hint that the guards on either side of her even existed. She waited calmly, her arms in front of her, held there by the chains that bound her wrists. The uniform she'd been given for the trial was short sleeved - carefully calculated, she knew, to make sure that the Dark Mark burned onto her left forearm was visible to all.

And yet she knew they had little evidence against her. The Auror who had arrested her after the battle was in fact the primary witness to the fact that she had played no part whatsoever in the battle. She glanced along the corridor, catching sight of the man; there was no mistaking him. He'd carry those scars for the rest of his life.

There was no denying that she'd been the one who'd inflicted those wounds. But there was a strong case that, having been locked in a tiny cage in her animagus form, with a broken wing that was agonizingly cramped by the size of the cage, she'd reacted as anyone might. There was no evidence that she'd acted under orders from the Death Eaters; merely that as a barn owl in pain, once released she'd lashed out at the person responsible.

The man caught her eye, and she smiled smugly. She was actually rather looking forward to this hearing.

[JadieLou]

Juliette sighed, then looked up as Sara sat beside her, as she had for all of these trials. What somber occassions. This one, they all knew was going to end with Ms. Blackthron getting off. One of the Aurors was testifying. Why they had to do it at all she didn't know. Then the guards announced the woman's entrance.
"Ms. Kaiia Blackthorn. Charged with Treason, Conspiracy and Assaulting an Auror."
Juliette nodded and in came the guards, Ms. Blackthorn between them.

"Ms. Blackthorn, would you please enlighten us as to why you believe you are here?"

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Hearing her name called, Kaiia walked composedly into the courtroom. At least, as composedly as was possible when manacled and shackled, and wearing a prison uniform. She took her place in the prisoner's box, and listed politely to the judge's words.

Shaking her mane of brilliant hair back from her face, she nodded, and replied,

"I believe that I am here purely because of an undeserved reputation - a reputation that I gained merely because I was married to a Death Eater many years ago."

She met the judge's gaze blandly. She wasn't going to give her any help. If she specified any particular actions, the ministry would probably jump on it as an "admission" of guilt.

[JadieLou]

Juliette sighed as Kaiia spoke. "Of course," she murmured. She looked at Sara, who shrugged.
"We have ample proof of your involvement in the Death Eater cause, and your assault on an Auror. Do you deny said allegations?"

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia listened politely. "I cannot imagine what proof you might have of my - what was it you said? 'involvement in the Death Eater cause'? But I must admit, I did assault an auror - though not for any reason connected with Death Eaters." She glanced at the auror, seeing his expression darken.

"I would be happy to explain the events that let up to that regrettable lapse. I was in the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts when I heard the first sounds of what appeared to be an attack on the school. Naturally, my first concern was for the students. I needed to reach them quickly, and being an owl in my animagus form... I'm sure you know of my status as a registered animagus? - I decided the quickest way would be to fly to ground level. While I was in flight, the auror in question sent a jinx at me, causing me to crash. I broke a wing in the process...." She touched her shoulder gently; it still ached.

"Believing that the owl he had just attacked was a threat, he decided to lock me in a cage. A very small cage. Unable to transform back while locked in a cage that size, I spent hours in great pain, my injured wing being crushed against my body. After the attack was over - many hours afterwards, I might add - he finally remembered that he had trapped an injured owl, and let me out of the cage."

Her eyes rested on the auror; he seemed to find her gaze as disconcerting as that of her barn owl form. Then she looked back at the judge.

"Your honour, I don't know if you are familiar with what it is like to take the form of an animal? One's human intelligence is intact, but occasionally - particularly during times of stress or pain - the instincts of the animal can be hard to restrain. When I was let out of the cage, I reacted as any injured animal might, and attacked the one responsible for my suffering. I was not, of course, able to do more than flutter, but I attacked using my talons and beak. I regret the damage I inflicted on the auror, but there was no malice involved. I had no idea at the time that a battle had taken place - merely that I had been injured while performing my duties as a professor at Hogwarts."

She gazed calmly at the judge. Why, she wondered, was the Minister for Magic allowed to oversee trials? It was typical of the Ministry, to stack the deck so heavily in their favour.

[JadieLou]

Juliette watched Kaiia as she explained ehrself. She nodded, to signify she was taking it in. She could see the kid sitting near her taking notes, and Sara was jotting things down. The two women glanced at each other. Sara sighed and shook her head.
The older woman thought this all was a waste of time. Why in the world did they need to do this when the woman was going to go free anyway.

This is ridiculous. Get it over quickly she scrawled across the page, knowing Juliette would be able to see it. The Minister nodded.

Her eyes moved to the auror. "Would the witness please make his testimony."

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

The auror stepped forward, his face rigid. He knew that all he could do was to confirm the story. He shot a venomous look at Kaiia. There was no denying that he'd been regarded as handsome, and this woman, in her owl form, had made a real mess of his face. And yet... however he might feel about the defendant, he was an honest man.

"Your honour, the events are, essentially as the defendant said. I believed that she was flying towards the late headmistress's office, not the ground floor but... well, it's entirely possible that she was forced to fly higher simply because of the battle. I used a jinx to bring the owl down, and placed her in a cage. I didn't realize at the time that she was injured, or I would have been more careful. When I went to let her out, she flew directly at my face. It's lucky she couldn't fly properly or I'd never have got away from her. After a few minutes, she changed back into human form, and I took her into custody."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

The tall, dark haired man pushed the door open and slipped into the back of the courtroom. His eyes were drawn instantly to the judge's bench, to the woman seated beside the judge. The juror. A woman he hadn't seen in years. A woman he had never stopped thinking about, in all those years, hoping desperately that he would one day find her.

And then out of the blue, she had reappeared, appointed the new headmistress of Hogwarts, and participating in the trials that followed the abortive attempt by Death Eaters to overthrow the ministry.

Over the years, he'd imagine how he'd feel at this moment. He'd not anticipated that he would feel like a kid again, like that arrogant 21 year old whose life had been turned upside down by a schoolgirl.

He pushed his way forward. He barely glanced at the woman on trial. He knew of her, of course, she'd been married to a rich and influential Death Eater. But all his attentions were focused on Sara Templeton.

[JadieLou]

Juliette listened to the witness, sighing again. Beside her, Sara also sighed, almost, she noted, with relief. This was over. Essentially. There was no way they could carry this on any further. Kaiia was innocent. Unfortunately.

"Thank you," she said as the witness finished. "You may sit." She gave the man a smile. Poor guy. He was completely ripped up. Maybe there was some sort of surgery (even Muggle maybe) that could restore him. She turned to Sara. The older woman gave her a look.

Just do it was written on the piece of parchment the older woman handed to the Minister. She turned in her seat to look at the Wizengamot behind her. They all looked sort of defeated. They knew this one wasn't going to get hte desired result. There wasn't enough proof. Despite Juliette's claim there was.

"The Wizengamot will now vote."

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia stood calmly between the two guards. This was a foregone conclusion. It was obvious that there was no evidence she'd ever been involved with the Death Eaters this time. If they'd even had proof she had been part of Kildara's group of conspirators, they'd have screamed the fact before she was even allowed to speak. But they were voting. Clearly, Kildara had not recorded anything that incriminated her. Or if she had, she'd destroyed it in time.

Her expression smug, she let her eyes drift over the crowds assembled in the courtroom. No doubt hoping to see her sent to Azkaban for ther rest of her life. They'd be disappointed. Then she gasped, unable to stop herself taking a half step forward. Beside her, the guards reached to restrain her, but dropped their hands when it was obvious she wasn't going any further.

Kaiia's eyes were riveted to the tall, dark haired man in the crowd. "Damon...?" she gasped. It couldn't be. She'd seen Damon's body, held it in her arms and sobbed hysterically. Seen it consigned to the ground. And yet... and yet how could it be anyone else? A ghost? No, he was clearly alive. He wasn't looking at her, he was gazing fixedly at the judge... no, not the judge, the juror next to her. The new headmistress of Hogwarts.

What the hell...?

[Sara Templeton]

Sara just wanted to get out of here. What a waste of her time. And being cooped up underground wasn't really her thing. She kept her eyes on Kaiia as she raised her hand in favour if innocence. Well, not innocence, just luck. Lucky she was hit by that bloody jinx.
Then, the other woman began walking, stopping abruptly. Sara raised an eyebrow. She was looking at something, someone maybe, in the crowd. Sara's eyes followed her gaze, her eyes resting on a man that was looking directly at Sara.
Her eyes widened. Though he was definately changed, there was an incredible resemblance to the man she'd seen in this very courtroom being dragged off.

Oh no...

Sara's eyes closed, while Juliette, seemingly oblivious to the disruptance, declared Kaiia was free to go, and to reclaim her place at Hogwarts.

Rabastan? Here? Why? Surely not because of her. But, his eyes hadn't left her, even when Sara's reopened, he was still looking at her. Beside her, Juliette and the Wizengamot was standing. Pulling herself out of her daze, she stood also, trying to ignore the curious look Juliette was giving her.

She nodded. Giving the man one more look, she left the courtroom with the others. She wasn't really sure what to make of all this. All these feelings that were coming back.

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Dazedly, Kaiia realized that it was over, she was free. She hadn't even lost her job. But all she could think of was the man still standing in the courtroom, his eyes on the woman now leaving the room.

The two guards were grudgingly removing her chains, muttering to each other. One of them glanced up in the direction Kaiia was looking, and sneered.

"There's another one who should be on a one-way trip back to Azkaban," he said to his colleague. The other guard looked in the same direction and snorted scornfully. "Don't know why those Lestranges were ever let out. If you ask me this Minister's soft on Death Eaters. Used to be all they needed to lock 'em up was a Dark Mark..."

Her chains finally removed, Kaiia walked away from the guards. Lestrange? She turned to look at him one last time before she left the courtroom. She vaguely recalled hearing about Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, Rodolphus. Bellatrix had been killed in the same battle as Damon; and no-one seemed to know what had become of Rodolphus, but his brother had been captured and sent back to Azkaban, and had been released earlier this year. Rabastan Lestrange, then. She'd never met him, of course, had never realized that he was a mirror image of her dead husband.

Deep in thought, Kaiia walked from the courtroom. Suddenly, she had to get outside, into the fresh air, take flight... her shoulder, though it ached from time to time, was sound enough for flight. Still deep in thought, she began to make her way back to the lobby.

Once outside, she transformed smoothly into her animagus form, soaring high above the buildings, unable to restrain the wild screech of joy at the feeling of being free to fly once more. Even the shock of seeing her husband's double faded as she dipped and glided, testing her healed wing, and relishing the rush of wind through her feathers, as she turned northwards and began to fly home.