Chapter Text
Tom and Evelynn watch as Charlus heads up to the witness seat - he's been called as a character witness for Dumbledore, something that's going to backfire spectacularly and the scheming fool doesn't even know it yet. Charlus swallows a few times after giving the standard oath to tell the truth, and Dumbledore's lawyer asks "Can you describe a typical interaction with Mr. Dumbledore?"
Charlus swallows again, then says "Usually, it'd be in Transfiguration class. He'd do the lecture, have us attempt to Transfigure our items…for the Gryffindors, he'd give points if we got it right. For the Slytherins, though, he'd ignore them if they got it right or he'd hover over Tom like he was waiting for him to get it wrong. And, ever since Evelynn showed up, her to."
Dumbledore looks absolutely floored as Charlus goes on, saying how Dumbledore always seemed to favor him, even among his fellow Gryffindors, how he's always seemed to despise Tom Riddle despite the boy never making any trouble whatsoever in his class…or any other classes, for that matter. Perfect track record for classes, never so much as a missed homework or botched spell.
And then he gets to the Boggart Lesson he oversaw, and tells everyone about the calculating look he saw on Dumbledore's face for a moment. And then how his doubts just faded away once Dumbledore's expression turned back to his usual genial expression - like he was Compelled to trust him.
The speculation makes Evelynn suck in a sharp breath through her teeth, seems he's been using that card longer than she realized - still, it's a smart move, she has to admit.
Trust isn't so easily broken by outside means, especially when that trust is magically induced. Trust makes someone overlook warning signs, blindly follow instructions, and lose everything when it's taken too far...and Dumbledore would absolutely force those he trusts to take it too far.
She would know.
He made her trust him, so she ignored any warning signs she might have noticed in her old time.
Hells, he made the entirely of Magical Britain trust him, so they practically worshipped the ground he walked on - it took him saying a psychotic madman was back, followed by an extensive smear campaign, for that trust to waver even a little. And then, only because nobody wanted to believe Voldemort was back.
He made them all trust him, so nobody thought to check on the orphaned little girl he made disappear for a decade - and nobody could see past the title he forced on her to the abused little girl he had trapped in his schemes.
They trusted him, so nobody thought to actually check to make sure Wool's Orphanage was as good as he claimed it was for Tom.
Dippet trusted him, so he never thought to make sure he wasn't traumatizing students when he went to introduce them to the Wizarding world or blatantly harassing some due to his own biases.
Evelynn doesn't even hear the rest of Charlus' testimony, the words 'I trusted him!' rolling around in her skull like a snowball that's only getting bigger and bigger. She told that to Aberforth that night, that she trusted the ex-headmaster.
That was what was going back and forth in her head like a Quaffle when she saw that news article, where it said Ron and Hermione had been given evidence by Dumbledore that she'd go Dark like Voldemort - that she'd trusted him and he betrayed her long before.
She trusted him, and he knew she was a Horcrux the whole time.
She trusted him, and he had her walk to her death.
She trusted him…and then he killed her, even if second-handedly. Killed her via Tom, tried to kill her via all of Britain…if she hadn't known for sure that he was dead, she'd have wondered if he was still secretly alive somewhere, cooking up new schemes to see her dead.
It's when Tom squeezes her hand that she's dragged out of her spiraling thoughts, just in time to see him rising.
Nagini, who's wrapped around her this time, hisses "Tom's just been called as a witness. Charlus' testimony wasn't good for Dumbledore."
Charlus sits down right then, quietly asking "You good? You had this look…" She looked like she wanted to kill Dumbledore herself. At least it wasn't like the look Dumbledore got back at that Boggart lesson.
Evelynn just shakes her head, murmuring "Not even a little." She'll be alright when Dumbledore's either locked away in Azkaban or has a make-out session with a Dementor.
As soon as Tom is sworn in, Minister Lestrange says "Heir Potter stated that Dumbledore targeted you in particular, correct?"
Tom nods, saying "Yes, sir. He's disliked me since the day he came to Wool's with my Hogwarts letter."
"Can you describe that first meeting?"
Tom pulls a grimace, and states "A Healer ran a full diagnostic scan on me, and found evidence of a Compulsion from that day. Would that make my testimony invalid?" At Minister Lestrange's denial, Tom says "I was waiting in my room as Mrs. Cole told me to when Mr. Dumbledore came into the room. I'd overheard her talking to some of the other adults at the orphanage that she wanted me looked at, that she thought there was something wrong with me. Faced with a man I'd never seen before, in a rather unusual suit no less, I thought she'd actually gone through with it. When he said he was like me, and asked if I could do things the other kids couldn't, I thought it was a trick of some kind and wanted him to prove it. He decided proving he was telling the truth meant setting my wardrobe on fire, potentially burning everything I had bar the clothes on my back to ashes. I can only speculate that that's when he used the Compulsion Charm on me, as I looked over at him when it happened. I then proceeded to tell him everything I could do, despite having learned to keep my abilities a secret from everyone around me and only having met Mr. Dumbledore not two minutes prior."
The temperature suddenly drops rapidly, and this time people seem to notice - of course, given the detail that there's mist coming from Tom's mouth when he breathes out, it's fairly obvious. When he glances over, Evelynn looks like Death being in her head is the only thing stopping her from vaulting herself over three rows of people, straight to Dumbledore, and choking the life from him.
Once everyone's either disregarded the sudden drop in temperature or convinced themselves it's not important, Tom proceeds to answer questions about his time at Hogwarts, the scrutiny he's been under from Dumbledore, and how it's affected his experience at Hogwarts. The room doesn't get any warmer throughout his testimony, but at least Evelynn stays sitting down...even though her eyes are glowing Avada-green and Tom's sure any glass would be frosted over by now.
Dumbledore's lawyer clears his throat, looking distinctly nervous, and asks "Can you repeat what, exactly, you told my client you could do when you first met him?" The memory is damning, and he knows it - his only hope is to somehow paint this teenager as someone Dumbledore had a reason to be suspicious of.
Tom purses his lips for a moment, having fully expected this tactic, and says "I can. I said I could make things move without touching them, could make animals do what I wanted without training them. I said I could make bad things happen to people who were mean to me, could make them hurt if I wanted."
"And did you want to make them hurt?"
Tom raises an eyebrow at him, asking "Tell me something, have you ever been surrounded by people who don't understand you? Who can't possibly begin to make sense of what's going on? I was the only Magical child in Wool's Orphanage for my entire life, potentially in the entire time Wool's Orphanage has been open. The Matron and all the other adults had no idea about my magic, and thought I was possessed by the Devil. The other kids knew I was different, no matter the detail that I'd been born and raised in those walls. They either feared or hated me, and one boy and his two friends in particular took to making my life - as well as that of the rest of the younger children - as difficult as possible. Yes, I'd want Billy Stubbs and his two cronies to hurt after they'd cornered me and beat me up, that doesn't mean I had any idea my then-unknown magic would make it happen at the time. It's called accidental magic for a reason, after all."
Evelynn's voice filters into his mind, murmuring Breathe, Tom. Easy, you've made your point and then some.
Glancing around, Tom's relieved to find most of the jury members are looking at him in sympathy - one or two in pity, true, but there's not a single negative look in the crowd. And, as much as he despises being the target of someone's pity in general, it's the preferable outcome to them believing Dumbledore's spiel. Feeling some of the tension bleed out of him - how he hates revisiting Wool's Orphanage, even in just a discussion! - he adds "Suffice it to say, I learned control rapidly. By the time your client came to introduce me to Hogwarts, I could direct my magic at will. At that point, just because I could make someone hurt somehow doesn't mean I would."
The lawyer swallows, then says "I see." Because, really, what is he supposed to say to that? Anyone in this room can - hypothetically - make someone hurt if they want to, it's part of having magic. Tripping Jinxes have been around for decades now - they're taught in second year, dammit! - they teach the Cutting Curse in fourth year, and setting things on fire via an Incendio is one of the first things he learned in third. Clearing his throat, he asks "And, the items that my client had you remove from your wardrobe? What of those? Possessions of other children in the orphanage?"
Tom couldn't stop the derisive chuckle that escapes him if he had a straight year to prepare for it, shaking his head as he says "Those? I took them from Billy Stubbs after he and his two friends attempted to beat me up not three hours before - he'd stolen them from some of the younger children, and I'd planned on getting them back to their rightful owners once I was sure Cole wouldn't turn up believing I'd been taking them in the first place."
He's sent to go back to his seat after that, the lawyer apparently not having any idea of what to try and ask - Dumbledore apparently didn't have anything for him other than to try and paint Tom as some kind of villain.
And then, much to Tom and Evelynn's inner delight, Minister Lestrange leans forward in his seat, fixes Dumbledore with a piercing look, and asks why he had several memories of both Tom Riddle, the Gaunts, and the Potters stored for viewing in a Pensieve. He wasn't sure whether to have Evelynn Peverell testify right after Tom Slytherin did or not, but he figures the teenagers need a moment to collect themselves. Besides, the memories are of Tom Slytherin's past, so starting with the ones pertaining to him and his family is a plausible enough transition.
Dumbledore goes paler than bone, mouth opening and closing in a goldfish impression - he never thought they'd find the memories he had collected and stored, even though he wasn't allowed to go back to his quarters and collect his things. One of the House Elves brought it all over, but was unaware of the secret storage spot he'd hidden in his personal quarters - it contained all the memories and research he had of the whereabouts of the Stone and the Cloak!
Tom glances over at Charlus, and sees the boy's gone paler than the ghosts at Hogwarts, even as Lord Potter looks furious. Seems Dumbledore was actively focusing on Charlus, looking to insert himself into his life, make himself an integral part of Charlus's future and that of any children he has. It certainly explains why he tutored James Potter in Transfiguration.
After a moment of no response, Minister Lestrange drily asks "I assume your answer is 'no comment?'"
Evelynn gets called up next, and Tom can only pray Dumbledore's lawyer doesn't ask anything too stupid - her self-control concerning Dumbledore has been hanging on by a thread for the trial, and he can only guess it's because Death was in her head that she didn't leap down to the old man and start throttling him with her bare hands during his own testimony. Once Evelynn's sworn in, Minister Lestrange asks "Can you describe your first interaction with Mr. Dumbledore? Aside from when you flung him halfway across the Great Hall, that is."
Evelynn nods, saying "I'd just woken up in the Hospital Wing, after Grindelwald's attack on me. I was hurting, I admit, so everything's more than a little hazy, but he came in through the door with Headmaster Dippet. Madam Pomfrey showed up a few moments later…and, honestly, I thought for a moment I might have been dreaming when she cast a Diagnostic Charm on me. Headmaster Dippet started to ask me a few questions and explain about magic, but Professor Dumbledore interrupted and asked me who I was, where I'd come from, and how I got into Hogwarts. I could tell he thought I was lying, but Headmaster Dippet sent him out after it was clear I didn't know about magic at all. And he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about taking me to Diagon Alley either, I could practically feel him judging my every choice and what I got for a wand even if he didn't say anything about it."
"And, your first Transfiguration Class?"
"I noticed him staring at me when I walked in, but didn't think much of it as I was the sudden new student - one who'd flung him across the Great Hall by accident, no less. I hadn't asked Madam Pomfrey for another Pain Relief Potion, so I admit I was a little distracted when it came time to cast the spell he was lecturing on, and he took ten points from Slytherin for it. I cast the spell immediately afterwards, and he gave three points for it - just before Tom did the same and was blatantly ignored for it. At the end of class, he called me up and gave me a list of assignments to complete by the end of Winter Break - and one of my yearmates was so kind as to inform me that it was all the essays they'd written for him the entire time they'd been in his class. The ones I'd missed for that year, and a year's worth of essays to go with it. I'd thought I was being picked on at that point, especially when none of the other teachers did the same, but what could I do? I was new, he was the Deputy Headmaster, I didn't think anyone would take me seriously if I did. That, or I'd be punished in some way for speaking up. So, I did the essays, got all of them finished a few days before Winter Break ended and turned them in during a staff meeting - from the way Professor Slughorn reacted, and then Headmaster Dippet, perhaps I could have told them about it, but I thought that he'd stop if I didn't give him a reaction."
It's what she originally thought would work with Snape - or, at least, what Dumbledore made her think - so it's likely what she would've thought if she were actually a child. At least, she hopes it's what she realistically would've thought. Dear Merlin, she hopes it's believable.
"Eventually, I realized that he seemed to have a grudge against all Slytherins, especially Tom and myself. I put it down to me having thrown him across a room in front of the entire school, why he didn't like me in particular. As for Tom? I figured maybe he'd somehow shown the teacher up in class or something and he took it personally."
Minister Lestrange nods, along with most of the Wizengamot members, then asks "And the detention he gave you?"
"It was the first day of classes after I'd been injured by a Troll that had gotten into the school. I leaned over to Tom to reassure him that I could make it through classes before Dumbledore started lecturing, and he gave me detention. When I got there, he had me writing lines until Madam Pomfrey came in and asked him why she was there. He then proceeded to explain how he was concerned someone was controlling me. Once Madam Pomfrey had cast the spell and the results stated I was free of any Compulsions, Potions, or anything else of the sort, he gave me an hour-long lecture about people not being what they show the world, and seeing beneath the surface of things while trying to get me to meet his eyes. I thought he was going to attack me, he was looking so frustrated by the time he let me leave."
Minister Lestrange raises an eyebrow, asking "Do you have any idea of who he supposedly thought was controlling you?"
"Tom. I've noticed he either blatantly ignores him in class or tries to demonize him whenever possible." Evelynn shrugs, adding "As for why he thought his idea of me being controlled was viable, Tom had called in a favor I owed him to send me to the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey directly after the troll incident."
Dumbledore's lawyer pales almost at once, even as most of the Wizengamot members get riled up - the mind arts aren't forgotten among them, but they're not something a student would find at Hogwarts unless they knew to go looking for them. He shoots the ex-professor an incredulous look, much to Tom and Evelynn's amusement, before squeaking out "No questions!" He's not that stupid, not by far. Anything he could possibly ask her would either be borderline-accusing her of working with Grindelwald, making her relive the attack she was in for specific details, or opening himself up to looking and acting like a fool as she recounts any incident he asks about in far too much detail to imply she's lying, mistaken, or exaggerating anything.
Minister Lestrange, his undersecretary, and the head of the Auror department all trade dismayed glances - chances are, they'll be calling in students as witnesses now. And not just a few students…a lot of students.
The longer the trial goes on, the greater the chance something will happen or Dumbledore will find a way to escape - they haven't even gotten to the part where they go over all the memories of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, the bit about him tampering with the Hogwarts Wards is coming up soon…which may be the perfect time to call in students he didn't directly target, then.
The only sure thing, though, is that this is an absolute shitshow! Or, it will be when everyone hears about the tampered Wards!