Chapter 396 - Retrial Ⅱ (1/2)

Stephen Flint hears his client nervously breathing behind him and placed a hand on the sleeve of his client to call him. Rubeus Hagrid takes a deep breath and tries to at least breathe normally. It semi-worked as they stood in front of the twelve seated members of the Hogwarts Board. Among them seated at the very last is the youngest and newest board member, Lucius Malfoy.

The chairman of the board is seated in the middle, a bald elderly wizard with only wisps of hair left in a white crown around his head. Decimus Magellan glances down at the paper before him, before in a grating voice saying, ”It is February 19th of 1975. The Hogwarts governing board members have all been summoned to hear the expulsion appeal of one, Rubeus Hagrid having been expulsed back in 1943 for owning a dangerous magical creature, which caused the death of a muggleborn student named, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren.”

Magellan narrows his devious looking eyes and says, ”However, that being said, there are no grounds for appeal regarding your client, Mr. Flint. It is an open and shut case.”

”May I speak chairman?” Stephen Flint fearlessly said with steely blue-gray eyes.

”Very well, you may, council,” Magellan slowly said with a look of mistrust in his gaze.

Stephen says, ”I am certain that each of you have a copy of the evidence I have submitted in front of you, Board Members. If I may have trouble you all to turn to page five and view the three medical reports in order that all state what exactly what Myrtle Elizabeth Warren died of.”

Most of the Board Members turn the pages with the exception of the Chairman and Lucius Malfoy. Magellan does not even pretend to do so and impatiently says, ”Your point, council?”

”My point is that Myrtle Elizabeth Warren died of an instant inexplicable magical death via an unknown magical creature,” Stephen explained. ”However, the creature which my client was taking care of at that time could not have caused such a death, but rather a poisonous one. Thereby proving that my client though having made some rather poor decisions at the time did not in fact cause nor lead to the death of a fellow student in his same grade year.”

”That proves nothing,” Magellan snapped. ”They are merely conjectures without any proof.”

”But I have a witness,” Stephen fearlessly replied. ”I call upon the ghost of Myrtle Elizabeth Warren to take the stand.”

Instantly sensing an opportunity, Magellan's rival, an oriental wizard with almond-shaped eyes, dark hair and thin lips confidently interjects, ”I for one would hear the council's witness unless some of us would prefer that the truth remains hidden.”

Before Magellan can voice his negation of the claim, a wiry-haired wizard with a cleft chin says, ”I for one agree with board member, Maxwell Zheng. It will do the board no harm in further hearing the witness.”

Zheng nods his thanks at Leif Amundsen. Despite being rivals at times, both wizards got along exceedingly well. Then again, it might because of the explorer's blood found within them both. For their ancestors had been famous wizarding explorers in their forefather's native lands of China and Norway.

Magellan opens his mouth to finally, but firmly say, NO, but his fellow board members are all staring at him. He knew as well as any that ghosts were allowed to testify, and their testimony be counted as viable evidence in court. He could not deny the request without severe consequences. And that his enemies would not allow for it either.

”Very well,” Magellan unhappily said. ”I, the chairman will allow the ghost to enter, but let the board note, my unwillingness at the participation and appearance of this witness given the ghostly nature of the deceased.”

The side doors open to reveal a ghostly figure that of a squat girl with pimples and thick glasses. Stephen Flint smiles warmly at the figure of the ghostly teen. ”Thank you so much for coming, Miss Warren, we appreciate your time.”

Myrtle Warren commonly knowing as Moaning Myrtle giggled and twirled her fingers in her hair. ”I've never been called, Miss Warren before,” Myrtle squeaked shyly.

Having been a persuasive teen once, Stephen smoothly says to the ghost, ”Miss Warren can you tell us about the day, you died?”

Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question and batted her eyes at Flint. If only her heart could beat again, she would be head over heels in love!

”Ooooh, it was just dreadful,” Myrtle said with relish. ”I died on the second floor's girl's lavatory. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Oliver Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me it was a boy speaking. So, I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet. And then -,” Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining, ”I died.”

”Thank you, Miss Warren,” Stephen said. ”I'm sure that this must be difficult for you to speak of.”