Hogwarts: I am the White Demon King

Perhaps having weathered many storms, Dumbledore appeared exceptionally composed. A serene smile graced his face, as if Fudge's clumsy schemes couldn't faze him in the slightest. To him, this was merely a tiny ripple in the long river of life, insignificant.

In contrast, Fudge's once lofty authority had completely crumbled. The moment Dumbledore appeared, the composure on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by an unconcealable panic.

"Ah... Dumbledore," Fudge's face looked as if he had just swallowed a fly, his hands unconsciously gripping the edge of the table. "It seems you received the Ministry's letter, informing you of the change in the hearing time."

A rustling murmur filled the chamber as the Wizengamot members exchanged glances, their eyes converging on Dumbledore.

The magical world had been peaceful lately, leading them to increasingly trust Fudge and believe that Dumbledore's claim of the Dark Lord's return was merely a fabrication. Otherwise, the Dark Lord would surely have emerged to cause trouble by now.

Therefore, most of them frowned, their gazes towards Dumbledore filled with dissatisfaction.

Dumbledore broke the silence, unperturbed by their stares, his voice as light as ever, even tinged with a hint of amusement.

"I did not receive the Ministry's notice, but fortunately, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, thus avoiding missing such an important hearing."

He emphasized the word "important," the inflection carrying a subtle sarcasm that made Fudge's face even more unsightly.

Dumbledore waved his wand, conjuring a chair for himself, and sat down next to Harry.

"Cornelius, I believe we can proceed with the hearing."

"Oh—yes," Fudge said reluctantly, shuffling through the documents and pulling out a piece of parchment. He read aloud, "The accused, Harry Potter, is charged with the following crimes..."

"Hold on!"

Before he could finish, Fudge was interrupted again. He looked up, annoyed, at Harry, who had spoken.

"Before the hearing begins, I would like to ask the Minister of Magic why I did not receive prior notice of the change in the hearing time and location? Before coming to the Ministry, the notice I received stated that the hearing was scheduled for nine o'clock this morning, in the office of Madam Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Harry's tone was extremely calm. He already knew the truth about the attack and was confident that he would be fine today, so he was now full of confidence.

He simply sat in his chair, scrutinizing Fudge with an odd look.

"Fortunately, Professor Swann is meticulous, bringing me to the Ministry at seven o'clock. Only then did we learn that the hearing had been moved forward by an hour, otherwise, we would have missed it, wasting everyone's energy and time."

Harry stared directly at Fudge, his words devoid of fear, as if he were not the one on trial, but the lofty Fudge himself.

"That's not the Ministry's fault," Fudge interrupted impatiently. "The Ministry notified you by owl this morning."

"Oh," Harry's voice dripped with disdain, "It seems the owl must have delivered the letter to the wrong place, such as my aunt's house, whereas I moved to Swann Manor long ago after the Dementor attack."

"Furthermore, I would like to remind the Minister that, according to the Ministry's laws, if either the date or location of a hearing is changed, the accused must be notified at least two days in advance."

In the past few days, with Hermione's help, Harry had thoroughly studied the Ministry's legal statutes. Coupled with the memory-enhancing effect of the Baruffio's Brain Elixir, he had effortlessly memorized the articles. Therefore, upon learning that Fudge had temporarily changed the time and location of the hearing, he immediately thought of using this law to counterattack.

"Which means today's hearing is completely illegal," a mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "However, to avoid everyone having to make another trip, and to avoid wasting time on the matter of my underage magic, I am still willing to cooperate with the Minister and proceed with today's hearing."

"But, Minister Fudge, I sincerely advise you to improve your legal literacy in the future, lest you unknowingly violate the Ministry's laws."

The meeting room erupted in a clamor as everyone was stunned by Harry's audacious move to turn the tables.

"No wonder he's the Boy Who Lived, he's too amazing, catching Fudge's loopholes right away."

"Someone must have advised him, I don't believe a child could be so familiar with the Ministry's laws."

"This hearing is going to be a good show, Fudge is being ridiculous, even initiating a Wizengamot hearing for such a minor matter as underage magic."

"He's even more impressive than I imagined," Amelia said, surprised, as she looked at Harry Potter in the defendant's seat, then turned to Sebastian and said, "Honestly, if I hadn't come to this hearing room with you two, I would have thought you taught him all those words."

"He's the Boy Who Lived, he's seen all kinds of big scenes," Sebastian said in a voice that everyone around could hear. "The Triwizard Tournament further honed his courage, and in the end, he escaped from the Dark Lord's clutches. Compared to that danger, this is nothing."

Dumbledore glanced at Harry, then smiled benignly at Fudge.

He realized that Harry's combativeness today was excessive, making him unapproachable. Fudge's reputation would be difficult to salvage today.

Fudge's face darkened, as if he had been punched in the face. He did not respond to Harry's words but said grimly, "The hearing continues!"

"On July 26th, at 8:05 PM, the accused, Harry Potter, used the Patronus Charm in front of a Muggle..."

"I was acting in self-defense!" Harry interrupted directly. "That night, I was attacked by two Dementors. According to the law, underage wizards may use any magic to protect themselves when facing life-threatening danger."

"Therefore, the Ministry's charges against me are completely unfounded."

Harry did not follow the Ministry's questioning procedure at all but continued.

"Furthermore, this is the first time I have performed magic outside of school. According to the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, promulgated in 1875, even if I did break the law this time, the Ministry can only give me a warning, not convene a grand hearing here and threaten to destroy my wand."

"Finally, I would like to remind the Minister," he smiled slightly, revealing a row of white teeth, "Expelling students is the right of the Headmaster of Hogwarts; the Ministry cannot overstep its bounds."

The hearing room fell into an eerie silence. If what the Boy Who Lived said was true, then this hearing was undoubtedly a huge waste of everyone's time.

Ridiculous!

Utterly ridiculous!

Many Wizengamot members had the same thought. Their eyes refocused on Harry Potter, forming new opinions about him.

However, to everyone's surprise, Fudge not only did not get angry but revealed a triumphant smile.

"What the accused said is correct, but if the accused could be more polite and listen to my charges, he would realize that my charges have nothing to do with underage magic."

"I am charging the accused, Harry Potter, with cruelly murdering Ministry of Magic employees on patrol—Dementors—with a Patronus on the night of July 26th."