All eyes turned towards the Minister for Magic, awaiting his next move.
Fudge felt a headache. With all the evidence he had, Fudge thought that the trial was going to be quick. But now, this trial has taken an unexpected turn.
First, he had to calm the situation and take control of the chamber.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, we must remember where we are and why we are here. This is not the place to let your personal feelings out. Any further outbursts or disruptions will not be tolerated," Fudge continued, his tone unwavering. "This is a place of law and order, and we will conduct ourselves accordingly. Anyone who cannot adhere to these principles will be removed from this chamber."
Seeing that everyone was now complying, Fudge moved on.
He also asked the wizard accompanying Dudley to take the boy back to the other room. His presence here would only fuel the wizards.
He turned toward Amelia Bones, his expression serious. "Ms. Bones, while we acknowledge the circumstances that led to Harry Potter's actions, we must not forget that the use of Unforgivable Curses cannot be excused, no matter the provocation."
Then, Fudge's demeanor shifted slightly as he continued, "But you all seem to forget that there is another matter concerning Harry Potter that we must address. A matter that has been overshadowed by the events of today."
The room fell into a hushed silence as Fudge paused for emphasis, allowing his words to sink in. "Harry Potter is not only on trial for the crimes committed against the Muggles, but he is also here to respond to the accusation for the murder of Cedric Diggory as the number one suspect."
Cedric Diggory. A name that the current wizarding community could not forget.
Memories of the Triwizard Tournament and the tragic events on 24 June 1995 resurfaced. It has been more than a month since the event, and many of the wizards who were not directly related to Cedric Diggory have put the matter at the back of their minds.
"In that incident where our young hero, Mr. Cedric Diggory, lost his life, there was no one else except Harry Potter. As such, only he knows exactly what happened that night. I hope you don't mind telling us the truth, Harry." As soon as Fudge finished his sentence, he plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes.
Harry observed as Fudge drew out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion.
Fudge then signaled the Auror who was previously by Dudley's side to come and collect it.
Harry watched as the Auror took the crystal bottle from Fudge's hand. Then, the Auror began walking toward Harry until he was just a few steps away from the iron cage that Harry was trapped in.
The voice of Fudge was once again heard in the room. "This is Veritaserum, the truth serum that will get out exactly what happened that night."
After saying that, Cornelius Fudge turned his gaze towards Harry, "I hope you willingly drink it, I don't wish to make the Auror force it down your throat."
As Cornelius Fudge spoke of the Veritaserum, Harry couldn't help but remember the words of Voldemort. Harry recalled Voldemort's words echoing in his mind.
"The truth serum has its limitations, Harry. It cannot extract information that the person does not know or consciously remember. It can only reveal what the individual believes to be true at the time."
Harry took a moment to collect his thoughts, his mind racing with memories of that fateful night in the maze of the Triwizard Tournament. The sadness enveloped him as he remembered his friend. But he could not tell the exact truth. Otherwise, Voldemort would be known to the world, and wizards would start supporting Dumbledore once again.
Yet he could not lie about it, as Voldemort had warned Harry that someone had already informed Dumbledore exactly what happened.
As such, Voldemort had taken precautions against such an event by adding some memories in Harry's mind that would help him against the effect of the Veritaserum while maintaining the 'truth'.
With this, Harry had nothing to fear, and he extended his hand through the bars of the cage, accepting the small vial of Veritaserum from the Auror.
Closing his eyes, Harry uncorked the vial and brought it to his lips, swallowing the contents in one swift gulp. A surge of warmth spread through his body as the Veritaserum took effect, its magical properties beginning to exert their influence over his mind.
Fudge watched intently as Harry drank the Veritaserum without hesitation, his expression unreadable.
He thought the boy would hesitate. Maybe Dumbledore would go against this.
But none of that happened.
Once Harry had consumed the truth serum, Fudge received a parchment that contained all the details about the event.
"Harry Potter," he began, going directly to the main question, 'Tell us, did you kill the wizard Cedric Diggory on the night of 24 June?"
Everybody felt the tension. This was it. The defining moment. His response would determine the very outcome of this trial.
Remembering what Voldemort had told him to say, Harry spoke with tears starting to fill his eyes and flow down his cheeks.
"No, I did not kill him." His words echoed through the chamber. "But I am responsible for Cedric's death."
Cornelius Fudge, like the rest of the wizards, was puzzled by his words. He needed some clarification.
"Explain yourself, Mr. Potter. What do you mean you are responsible for his death, but you didn't kill him? Tell us the exact event that led to the death of Cedric Diggory."
And so it began. Harry breathed in and decided to start from the very beginning.
"For the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric and I found ourselves in the maze, navigating its twists and turns to reach the Triwizard Cup. As we finally reached the cup, we agreed to take hold of it together, to share the victory and ensure Hogwarts had two champions."
He paused, his memories of Cedric flooding back, the weight of guilt heavy on his shoulders.
"But the cup held one last trick, one last betrayal."