Courtroom 4: The Trial of Rydiger Von Heap

[Remus Lupin]

*Lupin shrugged off von Heaps rudeness and nodded towards the Minister*

Of course Minister. I am friends with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, myself and Nymphadora Tonks responded to a message they sent me and the auror message that Tonks received. We arrived later in the battle, it was over in only a few minutes of me being there. It was dark when I arrived, I will admit that. I was concerned only with finding the Weasley's and making sure they were safe, Tonks and I saw several Death Eaters fending off the aurors. Mr. Robards was on a broom circling them when Tonks went off to help them.

As I approached the Weasley home, I spied a wizard attacking Mr. Robards. He was clad in the same robes as the Death Eaters, but I could not see his face at that moment. I attacked him, hoping to draw him off Mr. Robards, the wizard was hit by a water spell and I could make out his features. We dueled momentarily, during which flung nearly a dozen spells at me in quick succession. One of them was the killing curse and another was the torture curse.

At the time of the fight, I did not know who that wizard was. Never seen anyone like him before, until I was interviewed by Pius and shown a picture of Mr. von Heaps.

[Rydiger von Heap]

"With other words, you admit that you didn't see the Death Eaters face, and you didn't know who it was, but randomly said "that was him" due to looking of a picture of a well known Law Enforcer from Europe? And " Heap asked sharply. He felt he had to point out that too, so it wasn't ignored.

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

*Scrimgeour thought for a moment. Though he did not appreciate Heap speaking out of turn again, he at least had a point. Trying to make out obscured features in the dark was not quite enough evidence to go on.*

*He spoke with a brow raised.*

You would do well to remember which one of you is on trial here Mr Heap.

*Then he turned his attention back to Lupin.*

Unfortunately, your testimony at this stage is not enough to prove it was Heap. What happened next? Was that when you left the battle or did you see anything else at all?

[Rydiger von Heap]

"Your're right, Mr. Scrimgeour." Heape said politely. "I got carried away. My apologizes."

[Remus Lupin]

*Lupin again did not take the bait that von Heaps was attempting to leave for him. The man was on trial, not Lupin and Lupin had a clear memory from that night. He had turned a few nights before the night of the battle and hadn't since.*

Of course that seems suspicious, as I said before I had never met nor seen Mr. von Heaps before I was asked to stand trial. My apologies, but that does not dismiss the fact that I did see someone that looked like Mr. von Heaps. During the battle itself, the wizard I was dueling with had a more formal still of fighting... less brutish as Death Eaters are wanted to do. I had seen that style before on several occasions when I visited Germany.

It is even more profound that until this day, I had never heard Mr. von Heaps speak, I recognize the same voice that I heard spout curses at myself and Mr. Robards. Of course there was a battle going on, but you tend to remember the voice of someone who used the killing curse in your vicinity...

Minister, I saw that the Weasley's had managed to escape the battle after...

*Lupin stopped for a moment remembering what he had been told was supposed to have happened during the battle*

Harry Potter was killed. I left the battle as soon as I could.

[Pius Thicknesse]

*Pius nodded towards Lupin, thankful that the man had shown up to be a witness against von Heaps.*

"A wizard with a German accent, a German style of dueling, shouting curses including 2 of the Unforgiveables. Even if you had not seen his face, lets pretend you didn't, this is still alot of evidence that says Mr. von Heaps was present at the battle and did not seem to be under the Imperius Curse. Do you agree Minister?"

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

Yes.

*He conceded, nodding as he looked over his previous notes.*

Coupled with Mr Heaps own admission to being present at the battle and attacking Mr Robards, I would say that this is quite conclusive that he can now be charged with the performance of all three Unforgivable Curses.

But the case still hinges on whether or not it was true that Heap was under the Imperius Curse himself at this time. We do know that the curse can have an effect for lengthy periods of time. As some of the current members of the Law Department are aware following the last war.

*He paused for a while, staring at his parchment.*

Mr Heap, you stated that you believe you were cursed soon after you came to the country. Is there anyone who can support this claim?

[Rydiger von Heap]

"If I may, it is a good argument, Mr. Lupin, if it wasn't for the fact that my beloved Germany hasn't a traditional dueling style. The style is different from person to person, just as it is here. And Mr. Thicknesse, do you suggest I am the only German dude in the whole UK? I find it belivable it actually is more than one German people in this country, who may or may not suppoert You-Know-Who.

And let me also repeat that if the Death Eater exposed me, this whole thing is a combination of the imperius curse nad memory charms just to get me kissed by the dementors. I have never had a blackout in my entire life, and then I suddenly had one right after meeting a Death Eater, coincidence? I don't think so. I find it rather suspicious that all memories I have left from the battle can be used against me in a court. Just think about it; I tell you I felt something or someone force me to do horrible things, the describtion don't fit. I tell you I am innocent? Wow, who would think my explenations is going against me? Something stinks, and I don't like it."

He looks at Scrimgeour. "Well, Minister, the only people being present must have been the Death Eaters themselves..."

Heap stoped.

"I wonder... This forced feeling I has... When a guy is imperiused, he always know it. Wheter he's able to fight against it or not, the person saw the wand point at him or her and heard the incantations. Is there many cases where a guy wasn't aware he was cursed? What if the similar forced actions upon a different effect simply could be a side-effect from me being unconscious or worse when the curse was casted? If not, I would belive my theory of memory charms is still worth sticking to, of course."

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

Theories do not hold up as evidence in court Mr Heap, and we are here to discover the truth. Until that is uncovered and is undoubted, I am obliged to reserve judgement.

*Obligation was the only thing stopping the trial being finished immediately. Scrimgeour had a personal score to settle here, but had to remain professional.*

*He thought for a moment about which direction he should take the case.*

Tell us what brought you to the Silver Serpent, where you suppose that you were cursed. And try to keep it brief.

[Rydiger von Heap]

"Of course. I had just started as your spy, and decided Knockturn Alley was a good start, seeing as the entire place actually selling Dark Arts and I was looking for Dark Wizards. I went into Borgin & Burkes, the largest shop I could find, to look for clues. But suddenly the light went out for some reason, and I tried to feel my way to the counter and shout to the shop keeper that something was wrong. It was all dark so I couldn't see where I went. When I finally found a door, I belived it was the entrance door, so I opened it and fell down some stairs, and then I ended up in a dimly lit hallway. I followed it, and ended up in the pub. A sign by the counter told me the pubs name."

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

And once inside the pub, who did you speak to and what was said?

*The story about stumbling through the dark was a little odd, but neither added or detracted from the case.*

[Rydiger von Heap]

"I recognized Rowle from a wanted warrant and went directly to the point, I belived he would trust me as my son - which I hadn't seen since was five years old - was killed by Alastor Moody and was a trusted Death Eater himself. At least, that's what I was told by this Ministry at the time. And it's when he said he had to check if I was trustworthy everything went dark."

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

This happened in the middle of the pub?

*He asked with a quizzical expression.*

[Rydiger von Heap]

"It might have, but of course, seen that I don't remember more, something might have happened before the blackout that I don't remember."

[Rufus Scrimgeour]

So he didn't wait until you were somewhere private before cursing you?

In which case there must be witnesses, can you describe anyone else who was at the bar?