September 2^nd 1995

Theodora Kingstreet is thirty-seven and is a lead prosecutor for the Wizengamot and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  She is a good woman in these times.  Severe, caustic and ruthless, but a firm believer in the law as it serves the greater good.


"Sturgis Podmore was arrested yesterday afternoon," she said. 

She was standing in the entrance to Leon Carter's partition.  She said this matter-of-factly, looking down her nose at the seated Carter.  She was dressed in a high-collared robe, with small red buttons all down the front.

"Apparently he broke into the Department of Mysteries on Tuesday night when he should have been guarding it.  Munch did the arresting."

Theodora liked Carter.  He was a By The Book sort of Auror - the only kind Theodora got on with.  The others were always breaching protocol, making her job difficult.  The Wizengamot is less likely to see the proper penalties when the defendant has got a spell fire burn plainly visible on his neck.  Or he testifies his house was ransacked before the owl arrived.  Protocol was of the utmost importance because it kept you free of scrutiny.

"Doesn't seem like Podmore.  I'll be reading his hearing in a week, but so far he hasn't uttered an explanation."


*I am referring to the mention in Order of the Phoenix where Advance Guard member Sturgis Podmore is arrested for breaking into the Dept of Mysteries under the influence of Lucius Malfoy's Imperius Curse.  I don't think this issue was further explored in the books so we have some freedom here.

 

Forty third year on this earth, and all ready he felt as if his better years were behind him. At least he had an easier time of going about his day in the past than he did at present. His spectacles sat on the end of his nose, his attempts to read the report in front of him failing. Perhaps more coffee would make it legible. Picking up the black liquid, he took a sip of it, grimacing at the coldness. He’d let it sit out too long. With his wand, he heated it up a little, allowing the heating spell to penetrate through to the middle before taking a sip again. Gasping in slight shock, he blinked and pulled his glasses off, setting the mug aside in an irritated thump, sloshing the liquid up against the sides. Too hot.

“Sturgis Podmore was arrested yesterday afternoon.”

Glancing up at Theodora, a tempered look plastered on his face, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Leaving the coffee to once again cool itself, no doubt to start the process all over again, Leon rubbed his eyes momentarily with his thumb and index before sitting up straight in the chair. He had heard of the arrest… and was quite disappointed with the man. He had always seemed loyal and just before. It was a shame how, in hard and trying times, people showed their true selves and that sometimes it wasn’t quite as pretty as one might have wished.

“Apparently he broke into the Department of Mysteries on Tuesday night when he should have been guarding it. Munch did the arresting.”

Nodding slowly, having all ready read the report. There were more and more that seemed to pile up as the days passed. And more and more were respected or known to Leon at the Ministry or just beyond. Sturgis was not the first, and he doubted it would be the last, even though he wished it would be. Another deep breath made its way in and out before Leon pushed himself up from his chair, motioning for Theodora to come in. Eric Munch had always appeared dependable, a very dedicated watch wizard. His appearance could have used a little shaping up…

“Trespassing and attempted robbery, according to Munch’s report.” He still read the daily Auror reports; he hadn’t been gone from his post there long enough to lose that routine. Plus, he thought it helped him prepare for the day in the fairly new position at the Wizengamot. After offering Theodora a seat, he sat back down and sat up, his back not touching the chair back. “Would you care for a cup of coffee or tea?” She wouldn’t be there bothering him unless she wanted to discuss it, or something similar. That would be wasting time, and neither liked to do that.

“Doesn’t seem like Podmore. I’ll be reading his hearing in a week, but so far he hasn’t uttered an explanation.”

The question of whether a person did the crime or not was the main focus of a trial. One side argued one way, the other argued the other way, and in the end one person won the majority of member votes. It was quite a game, often of who was wittier at persuading. Thinking on it a moment longer, Leon leaned over his desk and picked up a quill, giving her a half shrug. “Whether he is guilty of having done it on his own or through some other means… He was caught breaking an entry, trespassing in an area he should not have been in.”

It came down to what was correct per law and what one felt morally was right. It was hard to dissuade oneself from thinking of it like that, and Leon realized he was still trying. “He is guilty of that. It raises the question of why he was guarding the Department of Mysteries for in the first place.” Writing off the parchment in front of him, having decided since she came in that he had in fact read it enough times to see it from every possible angle, Leon set the quill down and picked up his spectacles, placing them once again on the edge of his nose before shuffling through the reports.

Picking out the one filed by Munch, he tapped the paper lightly. “Munch may not be physically professional in his attire and demeanor, but he wrote a very detailed report.” Pausing a moment, he glanced over his glasses at her, a question on his face. “What are your impressions thus far?”

Theodora, pleased at having been properly invited to sit, accepted the seat and tea.  She took it as black as was possible.  She was not a witch who accepted weak tea, nor anything that had been sugared over.  Tea was tea and if you didn't like the taste - do your best to fake it. 

She sipped hers in pointed moderation, then set it back down on the Carter's new desk. 

"Munch's report was thorough," she agreed, "Thank, Morgaine.  I don't know how many times I've had to speak with him about this in the past.  It's so very rare for one Auror to write a report about another.  I gather he didn't want to have a hand in making this any more embarrassing than it is already."

She shook her head, her lips pursed.  But Carter had been right - Podmore wasn't the first Ministry staffer to turn their back on order.  And Theodora was just as puzzled as everyone else.  What suddenly drives a man to abandon logic and duty for a doddering stupidity? Breaking into the Department of Mysteries?

"It doesn't make any sense, Leon," she admitted with some annoyance.  "Apparently he was behaving like a different person when he was caught.  And all he's been doing since then is apologize.  I don't envy his solicitors - I certainly take that as a tacit admission of guilt.  You know as well as I do that I can't offer the man the Ministry's mercy," she paused then, grinning discreetly at how soundly she'll tramp the defense's case.

She smiled at Carter, "You know, mercy falls on your shoulders now, Elder Carter.  Now, more than ever, we must all perform our duties without remorse for sad Podmore.  If it were me, I'd want the same thing of all the rest of you.  Ferocious pursuit of justice."

"Not that you'll catch me betraying the Ministry in this lifetime," she added, taking more tea.




(Wow, it's tricky to stick ourselves back into the Book Timeline.  Apparently, at this point, the Ministry had not yet admitted Voldemort's return. I had to re-write my post once I double-checked this!)