"I also informed you, the last time I charged you, I'd go ahead and prosecute you for them if you broke the law again. You've now done that.
Flicking open the file before her she looked down and said, "I'm adding those two charges to the following..." And read out the charges she'd told him before she'd charged him with, but wasn't going ahead with unless he broke the law again.
Once she'd finished reading them, she looked back at Dumbledore and said, "Again, I'm offering you the chance to have all those charges dropped if you come clean with why you seem to be so interested in getting Lord Potter under your control. What say you, Albus?"
Dumbledore kept his mouth shut with an expression of resolution and just stared back.
When, after fifteen seconds, he still wouldn't say anything, she said, "Fine."
Calling out, she commanded, "Bring in a Dicta-quill and Veritaserum."
Shocked, Dumbledore said, "You can't! What I know is protected knowledge under the Wizarding World Secrets Statute."
"Not everything is so protected, Mister Dumbledore," she shot back as both items were brought in. "I'll be sure to restrict the questions to matters not officially recognised as covered by the Statute."
As a young auror set up the Dicta-quill on a smaller 'clerks' table off to one side behind Bones, a DMLE-registered Healer stood with a rack held in front of her near where the young auror was setting the Dicta-quill up. The rack contained seven vials of clear liquid.
Meanwhile, Bones continued to stare at Dumbledore. She was carefully watching him with a very slight self-satisfied smirk on her face.
Dumbledore had clamped down very firmly on his Occlumency. However, she could see he was still exhibiting signs of panic. Even with that, he still wasn't speaking.
Bones had thought the clear threat to dose him with Veritaserum would be enough to loosen the old man's tongue. It appeared not to be working.
"Last chance, Albus," she said. "And... I do mean... last chance."
The select few of her team in the room had already been briefed as to her plan and what she would do if it didn't work. They'd be going ahead with the dosing.
The young auror, who'd been told to take her sweet time setting up the Dicta-quill, had now done so and was surreptitiously watching for the signal from The Boss that she was to announce the quill was ready. Bones gave her that signal, a flick of her foot.
She immediately announced, "The Dicta-quill is ready, Ma'am. I stand ready to take a court admissible and acceptable transcript."
Not even looking to the young auror, but at Dumbledore, Bones cocked an eyebrow at the old man in query. Dumbledore just jut his chin further forward in defiance.
She ordered, "Activate the Quill."
A moment later, the young auror replied, "Dicta-quill activated on the second of September, 1995, at 8.17am in Interrogation Room One of the DMLE, Ministry of Magic, Wizarding Britain.
"Dicta-quill activation is for the purpose of Interviewing arrestee, Mister Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, citizen of wizarding Britain, of no known fixed address.
"Present are: Dicta-quill operator, Auror First Class Samantha Fitzwallace, qualified Dicta-quill operator; Madam Director Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, wizarding Britain; Master Auror Alastor Moody; Master Auror Gawain Robards; DMLE certified Healer, Master Healer Eliza Pockridge; and the prisoner known as Mister Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Madam Bones is senior officer of this interview.
"Madam Bones, you may begin."
Bones replied, "Thank you, Auror Fitzwallace."
Openly smirking at Dumbledore she said, "Mister Dumbledore; do you recognise and accept you have been arrested and charged with the crimes of..." and read them all out.
As the last charge was read she looked back up at him and asked, "What say you?"
With his lips firmly pursed together in anger, it was a few seconds before he finally replied, "I do."
With a quick single nod of satisfaction, she asked, "Do you confirm you were offered the chance to speak in your defence regarding one or more of these crimes before the Dicta-quill was activated and you refused?"
Again, he had his lips pressed together in a firm line, glaring back, before he finally replied, "I do."
Another firm and single nod from Bones and she said, "I, Madam Director Amelia Susan Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for wizarding Britain, state for the record I know Mister Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, citizen of wizarding Britain and no known fixed address, is of half-blood birth; and is, therefore, not exempt from the condition in the Pureblood Statute forbidding the use of Veritaserum on his person. I also state for the record I know the same to no longer hold any official title that would otherwise exempt him from the use of Veritaserum on his person."
As she spoke, she saw Dumbledore's eyes begin to widen in alarm. Clearly, he thought her threat to use Veritaserum on him was a bluff. He was now discovering it was not.
She then stated, "I now hereby order for Mister Dumbledore to be dosed with Veritaserum for the purposes of receiving truthful answers for the remainder of this interview!"
"No!" he blurted. "Ask your questions. I'll answer them!"
"Too late." she stated right back.
Turning to the Healer she said, "Master Healer Pockridge. Do you confirm you have in the rack you are holding in your hands four vials of Veritaserum and only Veritaserum?"
"I confirm I hold in my hands a rack containing seven vials of Veritaserum and only Veritaserum, Madam Bones," the Healer replied in a clear voice.
"Confirmed," said Madam Bones. "Place the rack on the table before me and draw out the sixth vial from my left."
The Healer did and said, "I have drawn the sixth vial from the rack and state it is both sealed and is numbered vial three sixty four."
Bones then confirmed the information for the record and asked, "Master Healer Pockridge, what is your expert opinion on the maximum number of drops of Veritaserum Albus Dumbledore can be administered?"
As the matter had already been discussed before Dumbledore was even brought to the Room, she immediately replied, "I recommend the maximum number of drops of Veritaserum to be safely administered, without harm to the prisoner, to be four. I further recommend the maximum number of drops to be administered with a twenty to thirty percent risk of permanent harm to Albus Dumbledore to be six."
Bones gave a firm nod and looked back to Dumbledore. "I, Madam Director Amelia Susan Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for wizarding Britain, state for the record I order Master Healer Eliza Pockridge to immediately administer to Mister Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, citizen of wizarding Britain and no known fixed address, five drops of Veritaserum."
Dumbledore stared back at Bones in complete shock. He'd even paled quite dramatically.
"I, Master Healer Eliza Pockridge, confirm I have been given a lawful order by Madam Director Amelia Bones, Director of the DMLE, to immediately administer to Mister Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore five drops of Veritaserum."
As she walked around the table she cracked the seal and opened the thin-necked vial.
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