Professor McGonagall's brow remained furrowed. She was clearly dissatisfied with the decision to skip the proper procedures and could already sense that something was wrong.
This was hardly going to be a fair trial.
"The person involved in the previous case was not present, but not long ago, he took the initiative to contact us and requested the opportunity to clarify the truth."
A deep female voice rang out across the courtroom.
Scrimgeour's brow was furrowed as well. As someone who had not been bribed, he was particularly perceptive.
"I think the term 'surrender' would be more appropriate," he said, rising to his feet.
"Draco hasn't been convicted of anything yet! He's not a criminal, and he's underage!" Narcissa immediately stood up and retorted.
"Some people's evil is innate. It has nothing to do with age," Scrimgeour replied viciously.
Then he glared at Lucius, who was sitting not far away.
"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that it's hereditary."
"Insolence!"
Lucius gripped his wand tightly and immediately rose from his seat.
"Silence!"
A stern female voice interrupted the argument before it could escalate.
"This is a courtroom, not a marketplace in Diagon Alley."
The speaker was Madam Bones, a dignified middle-aged woman who had essentially taken over the proceedings after Umbridge opened the court.
"Let's hear what the person involved has to say," she continued.
Malfoy, who was never a man of many words, uttered a single word in a low voice.
"Imperio."
"Oh, that's a complete fabrication, just like his old man."
Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile appearing on his face.
However, the people around him clearly didn't agree. They nodded repeatedly, looking as though they had suddenly understood everything.
Scrimgeour's smile disappeared, and his fists clenched.
"Who cast this spell on you? Barty Crouch Jr. had already been captured by the time you took Miss Delacour hostage," Scrimgeour said, emphasizing every word.
"I don't know. When I regained consciousness, I found myself unconscious in the wilderness."
"My consciousness had been hazy until now," Malfoy replied calmly.
"Isn't that ridiculous? Anyone could use that excuse to escape responsibility for anything."
Scrimgeour burst into laughter.
Yet, judging by the reactions around him, very few people seemed to agree.
Most of the jurors nodded in agreement with Malfoy.
Scrimgeour's thick eyebrows drew together tightly.
"The Malfoy family has expressed its deepest apologies to Miss Delacour and is seeking her forgiveness. She is currently receiving treatment in the best ward at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," Umbridge interjected.
The jurors began murmuring among themselves once again.
"As a victim, he still showed concern for the innocent person who was implicated because of him, even though it was not his responsibility."
Umbridge was the first to applaud.
Professor McGonagall's frown deepened.
This deliberate guidance of the court was deeply unsatisfactory to her.
"How could you possibly think that You-Know-Who would choose a minor to carry out his plans? Isn't that ridiculous?" Umbridge continued, deliberately steering the discussion.
"We'll have to ask him first whether his father set a good example for him."
Scrimgeour shrugged.
"I will file another lawsuit against you for defamation once this trial concludes," Lucius said angrily, rising to his feet.
"Then I'll wait."
"You definitely have a Dark Mark on your left arm!"
A rather thin man sitting beside Scrimgeour suddenly stood and questioned Malfoy.
A satisfied smile appeared on Scrimgeour's face.
What he had not expected was that the explanation of "Imperio" would actually be enough to absolve Malfoy of responsibility. Even if the claim were true, it did not really prove anything.
And Scrimgeour was completely unaware that the man who had raised this question had already been bribed.
At this moment, Lucius's expression also relaxed.
Everything was proceeding exactly as he needed it to.
He sat back down.
Hearing this, Malfoy, standing in the dock, immediately rolled up the sleeve of his left arm.
The upper part of his arm was completely clean.
There was nothing there.
Surprisingly, despite his slender build and thin arms, he possessed considerable strength. His muscles were not bulky like those of a bodybuilder; instead, they were defined by smooth, clean lines.
"There are many magical tricks that can be used to disguise something like this."
The man paused for a moment, his gaze sharpening.
Then he continued questioning Malfoy.
"I request that Mr Mad-Eye Moody be summoned for questioning!"
"I second that. Mr Moody was also a witness at the previous trial, and he has every reason to appear."
Scrimgeour immediately agreed.
Moody's magical eye could see through almost any disguise. Even the supreme Invisibility Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows, could be detected by that eye.
He dragged his lame wooden leg as he limped through the courtroom doors, his deep-blue magical eye swivelling wildly in its socket as though it might leap out at any moment.
Narcissa breathed a deep sigh of relief.
She closed her eyes and instinctively rested her head against her husband's shoulder.
Lucius put an arm around her shoulders and comforted her.
Mad-Eye Moody slowly walked past the seated jurors on either side, descended the steps, and finally stopped in front of Malfoy.
He carefully examined the student with his magical eye.
Malfoy's grey eyes met his gaze without flinching, as though Moody's eerie magical eye did not exist at all.
"You cunning brat."
Moody's voice was hoarse with hostility.
His gaze shifted down toward Malfoy's arm.
With only a brief glance, Moody reached his conclusion.
"There are no markings on it," he said coldly.
Only then did Scrimgeour realise that something was wrong.
He turned his head toward the subordinate sitting beside him, then silently lowered his gaze without saying another word.
Before Malfoy's eyes, the jurors on either side began whispering among themselves once again.
Every whispered discussion represented another shift in their positions.
Scrimgeour immediately looked at the man beside him.
The man's expression had stiffened as well.
"I think the situation is quite clear now, isn't it?"
Umbridge spoke in her high-pitched voice, raising a finger with an air of certainty.
"I think you can vote now. Please raise your hand if you believe Mr Draco Malfoy is innocent."
Soon, hands representing a verdict of innocence began rising throughout the courtroom.
Only a handful of people kept their hands down.
The outcome was obvious.
"Very well, kid. You'd better not give yourself away."
Scrimgeour spat the words viciously before leading his people out of the courtroom in humiliation.
"All right. I hereby formally announce that Mr Draco Malfoy is released from the court. He may return to school at a later date."
The jurors in their crimson robes stood one after another and spontaneously burst into applause.
"That's wonderful, Draco!"
Narcissa immediately rose from her seat, hurried down the steps, and rushed toward her son, embracing him tightly.
Professor McGonagall, who had been sitting in the middle row, also slowly stood and walked over.
"Mr Malfoy, I think you can begin making arrangements to return to school. Also, if you intend to apply for deferred O.W.L. examinations, please do so as soon as possible. You are already considerably behind in your coursework."
Professor McGonagall spoke in a businesslike tone.
"Yes, yes, yes."
Narcissa nodded repeatedly.
"I've prepared all your textbooks. You can return to class whenever you're ready, Draco."
Narcissa smiled with relief as she wiped her eyes.
His belongings, which had been left in his dormitory, had already been thoroughly searched.
After confirming that there were no dangerous items, they had now been returned to his family home.
"Okay, Mum. But I don't think I need to postpone the examinations."
Malfoy said this to his mother before turning around and bowing to Professor McGonagall, making his position clear.