The wizards were impatient. Their desire to know the exact details was at its peak.
But Harry did not care about them. He paused, letting the memories of Cedric flood his mind.
"But the cup held one last trick, one last stage unknown to us."
Harry could not prevent the trembling in his voice.
"When we touched the cup, we were transported into an illusion, a nightmarish vision of a graveyard. And there, amidst the darkness, Vol... he-who-must-not-be-named awaited us."
Harry almost slipped and used the Dark Lord's name. He needed to remind himself that his Lord's name was taboo in the community. He needed to be careful in his narration. Someone like Dumbledore could easily notice these slips of the tongue.
"You-Know-Who, made by the illusion, began casting spells at us. The pain felt real. In the chaos and confusion, Cedric and I clung to each other, desperate to survive. But then, as we made a dash for the cup, a spell was aimed at me, and I successfully evaded it. But in doing so, the spell hit the back of Cedric instead."
As Harry recounted the tragic events, the memories played out vividly in his mind. "I watched, helpless, as the lifeless body of Cedric fell onto the Triwizard Cup. At that moment, the cup activated, whisking them away from the illusion, leaving me behind."
Although there was not really any illusion, in Harry's mind, this was the truth based on the memories Voldemort inserted.
"The illusion disappeared, and Voldemort was no longer there," Harry continued, no longer able to contain the grief.
"But Cedric..." His words trailed off, unable to articulate the profound sense of loss that still weighed heavily on his heart.
"I feared that people would consider me the killer," Harry confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I knew that I had survived, that Cedric had died because of me. And I couldn't bear the thought of facing the accusations, the blame."
The tears flowed freely now as Harry recounted his desperate flight from the graveyard.
"I ran, ran, and ran," he admitted.
"I don't even know where I was going. Everything felt dark, and I remember seeing my name in the newspaper as the suspect. Then I kept hiding until it was the night I decided to get back home."
As Harry finished narrating what happened, the chamber was filled with an uncomfortable silence, with the occasional sobbing coming from Harry.
Dumbledore was completely silent throughout Harry's tales. Even though not totally, the pieces were starting to form. But there was still a certain part that Dumbledore could not make sense of.
Why did Harry believe that moment to be an illusion instead of real?
Breaking the heavy silence that hung over the chamber, Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, spoke up.
"Harry Potter, when you mentioned that he-who-must-not-be-named was there in the graveyard, do you believe that he was real? You know, many believe that he is back. The community is currently divided just because of that."
Internally, Amelia was in deep trouble. This was something Voldemort asked her to say. But why? Why did Voldemort wish for the wizards to know that he was back?
As Madam Bones said that, all eyes turned toward Albus. Remaining unfazed, the latter kept looking at Harry, waiting for his answer.
Harry, his eyes still brimming with tears, looked up at Amelia.
"If by real, you mean the one I'm seeing in the chamber right now, then yes," Harry pointed his finger at a spot. All the wizards around looked confused as there was no one there.
"By your reactions, I can guess that there is no one there. So it must all be in my head. Since that day, I kept seeing him, and then he disappeared. If V... he-who-must-not-be-named, he was real, he would have killed me that night."
To Amelia, this was a shock. So that's what Voldemort planned. To remain hidden, knowing that Harry is not in his right mind, and used this to convince the world that Dumbledore was wrong.
Dumbledore was also feeling different. He was not that disappointed that Harry had not been able to confirm Voldemort's reappearance. He knew that the path ahead was filled with uncertainty. What pained him the most was Harry himself.
Now, Dumbledore understood why Harry believed that it was an illusion.
The poor boy was so affected by the events that he was seeing an imaginary Voldemort. No wonder the boy was unfound for so long. The trauma from Cedric's death was too much for him.
Alas, Dumbledore, even with so much wisdom, could never have imagined that the boy was now working together with Voldemort.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter, for your honest response. Everyone, I believe this answers many of you who had doubts regarding he-who-must-not-be-named's return. Mr. Potter here confirmed that it is nothing of such a matter. Minister Fudge, you can continue." Amelia said.
Cornelius had a pleasing smile on his face and was extremely happy with Amelia's way of handling the matter.
This will prove to the wizarding community that he was right and Albus Dumbledore was wrong. Then, Cornelius Fudge addressed the gathered wizards and witches.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, I believe that Harry Potter's testimony has shed light on the tragic events of that night in the maze. We can agree that the death of Cedric was due to some unfortunate event and that Mr. Harry Potter is not responsible for his death. Therefore, I propose that we dismiss the charges against him regarding the murder of Cedric Diggory. Those in favor of clearing the accused of this particular charge?"
Harry's head jerked upward.
There were hands in the air, many of them ... more than half!
Breathing very fast, he tried to count, but before he could finish, Fudge had said, "And those in favor of conviction?"
This time, not a single hand was raised. Everyone's eyes kept looking around to see if there was anyone odd enough to believe otherwise.
Clearing his throat, he addressed the Wizengamot once again. "It is clear that everyone is in favor of clearing Mr. Potter of the charge regarding the death of Cedric Diggory," Fudge announced. "Now, let us address the remaining matter at hand."
Turning his attention to Harry, Fudge continued, "Mr. Potter, you have also been accused of the murder of the Muggle couple, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, as well as the torture of their son, Dudley Dursley. These are grave charges, and we must consider them with the utmost seriousness."
The chamber was once again plunged into silence.
"However," Fudge continued, "it is evident from the memories presented by Mr. Dursley and the testimony provided by Mr. Potter that there are circumstances surrounding these events. We have seen the provocations endured by Mr. Potter at the hands of the Dursleys, and we must take these into account."