Jeremiah 'I swear he is a girl' Smith (smiting) wrote in blurred_media, @ 2009-06-24 20:02:00 |
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CHAOS INTERRUPTS MUGGLE-BORN RE-TRIALS WIZENGAMOT ELDER TIBERIUS OGDEN CLAIMS COUNCIL WAS IMPERIUSED Jeremiah Smith LONDON - On what was supposed to be the final day of the trials for the re-opened cases of twenty-seven Muggle-borns who might have been wrongfully charged with conspiracy and acts of terrorism against the Ministry of Magic, the usually dignified proceedings were interrupted this morning by claims that the Wizengamot's behaviour had been coerced with dark magic. During the re-trial of Muggle-born suspect Jacob Harris regarding his connections to the terrorists involved in January's attempted coup, Wizengamot elder Tiberius Ogden suddenly stood up as he was asking a question and reportedly shouted, 'Stop! This trial must stop! Death Eaters have Imperiused the Wizengamot!' Immediately after Mr Ogden's outburst, the proceedings were haulted as barristers, Wizengamot elders, and audience members in the gallery began to shout at each other. Mr Harris was taken back to his holding cell as DMLE officers rushed into the room to restore order. The Hogsmeade Herald was able to interview two Wizengamot council members regarding what happened in the court-room this morning. 'I've known Mr Ogden for most of my life, and he certainly hasn't become senile or mad in his old age,' said Padraig Lynch, a fellow long-time member of the Wizengamot. 'I'd also know straight away from subtle changes in behaviour if he'd ever been Imperiused. But that aside, all of us on the council, and I daresay most wizards and witches in this country, have been under an immense amount of stress due to the war these terrorists are waging on our government and the people it serves. It's unfortunate that it seems my good friend has finally reached his breaking point.' Artoria Spinnet, another council elder, also offered her insights into the incident. 'My honourable colleague Mr Lynch has an excellent point about stress that I myself consider the most plausible explanation, but I've known Mr Ogden for years myself and I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his claim, at least for himself. Perhaps he himself was, in fact, Imperiused, but this business about Death Eaters being involved is rubbish. If it's true he was Imperiused, then this must be the work of those terrorists who have been undermining the Ministry since their failed coup in January - they obviously have no scruples as shown by their murder of Bartemius Crouch, Sr., the very head of the [Department of Magical Law Enforcement] they once served.' But could the entirety of the Wizengamot be Imperiused as well, as Mr Ogden seemed to imply in his outburst? 'Absolutely not. Perhaps [Tiberius Ogden] was a little lax with his home security, but we members of the Wizengamot know from experience and history that people will go to all sorts of lengths to control the council for their own ends. As such, we have all accordingly taken incredibly severe measures to protect ourselves and guard against even the most heinous and coercive methods of influence.' Tiberius Ogden himself was not available for an interview at the time of publication, and his assistant refused to comment on the outburst or the state of the elder's mental health. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be conducting a thorough investigation of the incident. As for what will become of the verdicts that have already been passed during the week and a half of trials, in which every suspect was found to be guilty once again upon re-examination of evidence and further questioning, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot refused to make a statement until further deliberations have been held. |