The next day arrived, and just as decreed, Rita Skeeter's trial began promptly at four o'clock in the afternoon.
The previous twenty-four hours had been a blur of frantic panic for Rita. She had started by reading the magical contract half a hundred times, desperately searching for a loophole that would allow her to flee the country.
When that failed, she pivoted to fabricating evidence, trying to concoct a timeline proving her Animagus transformation was a recent achievement and that she had been on her way to register it.
In the end, she arrived at the courtroom with no viable defense, her own magic compelling her to attend.
She had neither eaten nor slept a wink the entire night. Thirsty, hungry, and twitching with exhaustion, she stood in the dock looking like a shadow of her former self.
There were a few witches and wizards who felt a fleeting pang of pity for her, but they were vastly outnumbered by those who relished her current state.
During the last day, as word spread about her trial, pieces of a terrifying puzzle had clicked into place for many powerful wizards and witches.
Their most private conversations, the secrets whispered behind closed doors, all of it had been exposed by Rita Skeeter as if she had been listening from the walls themselves.
They realized they had been living under the surveillance of an unseen spy, and now they were here to contribute to her downfall in exchange for the paranoia she had inflicted upon them.
The trial commenced, and a frantic, hysterical Rita immediately launched into a lengthy, trembling speech, attempting to flatter Fudge and claim the entire situation was a misunderstanding.
"Respected Minister and the members of the Wizengamot. It has only been a day since I achieved my Animagus form that I was captured and sent here," she lied, her voice shaking from hunger and fear, her smile brittle and unconvincing.
Umbridge let her speak as much as she wanted, standing to the side with a serene, patient smile plastered on her face. Only when Rita finally ran out of breath did Umbridge step forward.
"Fascinating," Umbridge began, her voice so sickeningly sweet it made Rita flinch.
"Forgive me, Miss Skeeter. However, I have compiled a list of your own articles that may prove otherwise. The reprieve of the previous day has given me ample time to locate witnesses who distinctly remember seeing a beetle present during the private conversations exposed in these very articles."
She produced a long list with a flourish. "I would like to give every one of them an opportunity to recount their experience." She added as she tilted her head, watching unblinkingly as Rita's already pale face drained of the last of its color.
The next two hours were a procession of condemnation. Witness after witness took the stand, recounting their experiences and cursing the woman before them.
Every time Rita tried to object, Fudge would silence her with a sharp warning, clearly enjoying the proceedings far too much to let her interrupt.
By the end, Rita simply stood there, a lifeless look in her eyes. For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt the crushing weight of true regret, forced to re-examine every choice that had led her to this moment.
Finally, Fudge raised his wand. A loud, cannon-like bang echoed through the chamber, signaling the end of the farce as he seemed bored now.
"It has been truly heartwarming to hear the testimonies of the respected wizards and witches gathered here. I have taken every one of them into consideration, and I propose a vote for the final verdict," Fudge announced, puffing out his chest to look magnanimous.
The next moment, the courtroom was bathed in a brilliant white glow as nearly every wand present was raised, their tips alight in unanimous agreement.
Rita, regretting that she had ever opened her mouth to ask for a delay, went limp as the Aurors moved to secure her.
"Take me there already," she muttered in a low, defeated voice as they dragged her away. "Just give me food and water on the way."
Aaric hadn't bothered to tune into the trial this time because the result was obvious. Instead, he and the girls were spending their evening exploring the planet Daphne and Fleur had cultivated.
Daphne had accelerated time for her solar system, having seeded intelligent life across the planets she had terraformed.
And with intelligent life on them, they were eligible for divine source of their own, that Daphne had placed on the sun and connected to all the planets in the star system.
Currently, they were on the planet where Fleur had established a connection, gifting a sliver of divinity to a single whale. Staying invisible, they observed as aquatic life flourished in the deep oceans.
The intelligent species on the planet had begun worshiping the whale as an ocean deity named Thalmyra, the First Mother of Tides.
The whale itself, having gained sapience from the divine spark, had used that power over thousands of years to transform its massive body into a living island crowned with a colossal tree.
The tree's branches brushed the clouds, while the base of the island that formed Thalmyra's body was rooted in the deepest trenches of the ocean.
Aaric and the girls inspected the island and the teeming life around it with fascination, marveling at how a single small change had birthed such a unique ecosystem.
"She almost has the divinity of a Demigod now, and she is using it very efficiently," Aaric commented, placing a hand on the submerged, stony skin of the island from under the water.
"Well, yes. She used most of her time evolving new life and turning into this form to connect herself with the whole planet," Daphne agreed with a smile.
The planet was teeming with magic. As they looked around, they saw colossal, serpent-like leviathans patrolling the waters around the island like guardians.
These creatures bore luminescent stripes along their flanks and glowing blue eyes that held the power to compel weaker minds.
They moved to the base of the island, deep at the bottom of the ocean, and discovered a city had formed around the roots of the living landmass. The city was a breathtaking structure of luminescent domes scattered across the seabed.
Entering the city, they found cat-sized beings with bodies that resembled a hybrid of cuttlefish and eel. They possessed no humanoid features, yet their intelligence was undeniable.
"You see how gravity is shifting around them?" Luna commented, watching as the creatures dextrously manipulated glowing stones to shape their architecture.
One of the beings vibrated in a specific pattern, its body glowing at key points. A moment later, the stone in front of it transfigured smoothly into a new shape. Statues of a whale carrying a city on its back were everywhere, revered as holy icons.
Fleur reached out and gently touched one of the creatures. It didn't seem to register the contact, simply swimming past them to continue its work.
These were beings of pure growth; they built to sustain their own expansion, yet they considered every drop of water to be a part of Thalmyra and would never dream of contaminating it.
"Let us pay a visit to Thalmyra," Fleur suggested, her voice soft with anticipation.
In an instant, they appeared on the surface of the island. They sensed a massive consciousness observing them, one that seemed to recognize the magical signatures of Aaric and Fleur.
The bark of the giant tree trunk in front of them rippled, shifting to form the wooden visage of a whale. A song-like voice resonated from the wood.
"I remember you," the feminine voice of Thalmyra intoned, addressing Aaric and Fleur directly.
"Hm. Well, good job on the planet. It is beautiful," Aaric said with a hum of approval and a smile.
"Thank you. It would not have been possible if not for the blessing you gave me," Thalmyra replied, her spirit directed at Fleur.
Fleur simply caressed the rough bark of the tree in response, sensing that the tree and the island were truly one singular being that connected the entire planet's biosphere.
Aaric, Luna, and Daphne placed their hands on the trunk as well. They allowed the entity to transport them into a mental space, a vast, completely white area with water rippling beneath their feet.
In the center, a whale with colorful feathers adorning its head breached the surface.
"Could you tell me your names?" Thalmyra asked.
The four introduced themselves with respectful nods, and the whale greeted each of them in turn.
"So, you created this world?" Thalmyra asked after Aaric explained that Daphne was the architect of the life here.
"Well, I introduced life to the world and made it habitable," Daphne corrected gently.
"Then, thank you, My Lady. I must inform my children that they must worship you as the creator," Thalmyra said, sending excited ripples through the water beneath them.
"There is no need for that," Daphne said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Rather, we would be happy to pass zis world onto you as its deity," Fleur said, glancing at Daphne and receiving a confirmatory nod.
Fleur then produced a Divine Flower in her palm. The blossom had been formed from the collective worship directed at Thalmyra by the people of this world.
"This will help you reach your potential," Daphne explained as Fleur let the flower float toward the whale's face.
"I... Thank you, then," Thalmyra whispered. She had deduced that Daphne and Fleur did not wish to manage the minute details of the planet and were entrusting it to her care.
The group quietly withdrew from the mental space, leaving Thalmyra to absorb the essence of the Divine Flower and ascend to her full divinity.