Pages stopped turning; murmuring ceased. And General Jacobs' eyes bored into her like ice. "Appendix A," he said.

Hermione turned to the Appendix, skimming quickly.

"Is there a problem, Miss Granger?"

Her ears felt hot as she looked up. Jacobs was tilting his head at her; Pierre was leaning forward in his chair. Fleur stared at the table while Bianchi gazed at her with interest, his fingers drumming on the table.

And to her left, Hestia gave the slightest shake of her head.

"Not at all." Hermione cleared her throat. "If there are unfair charges, I trust that the court will weigh the evidence fairly."

A chilly silence. Hermione's heart began thudding against her ribs.

"I'm curious, Miss Granger," said General Pierre, straightening in his seat. "Might you be so kind as to share with the Council which of these charges have concerned you? I'm sure my colleagues and I would be interested to hear."

Hermione blinked at him. She glanced to her left, but Hestia's eyes were firmly on her binder. Hermione's lips parted as she thought of the antidote potion, and the Horcrux — a green light barreling into Bellatrix's back—

"The charges against Ludo Bagman and Rita Skeeter," she said. "'Conspiracy to commit crimes against peace' seems excessive. It's quite possible that they were under duress."

"Miss Skeeter's lies contributed to the loss of thousands of Swiss lives," said one of the grey-robed wizards. "If she felt that she had no choice, let her state that before the Tribunal."

Hermione managed a slow nod. "Fair enough." She looked up to General Jacobs. "I have no further comments."

Jacobs masked his disappointment with an insincere smile. "Good. Let's put it to a vote, shall we? Unless Miss Granger needs a recess."

The Swiss wizards bored holes into Hermione's head, and Fleur's gaze flickered to her.

"That won't be necessary." Hermione raised a brow. "However, I would like to recuse myself from this vote, as I haven't had time to review the evidence. I trust a majority vote will suffice."

"It will," said Pierre coolly.

It felt like she was sinking into the floorboards as she watched Jacobs smirk at her, unfurl a scroll, and call out Bellatrix's name before the Council. Nineteen hands lifted in the air, and Jacobs recited each member as his enchanted quill scribbled them down. By the time he reached Draco's name, Hermione had drifted deep into her still waters.

They voted on procedures next. Trials would consist of a prosecution, a defense, and five presiding judges. The Council would elect ten judges in total — one judge and one alternate from each country participating in the Tribunal. Appeals would be possible to a new Council presided over by all five countries.

For the first time in her life, Hermione felt like there was an exam she hadn't prepared for. She tried to appear composed as she turned the pages in her binder, her mind spinning with all the legal jargon. Some of the terms were familiar, thanks to her preparation before Lucius's trial, but others were entirely new — the Tribunal seemed to blend legal traditions across countries and forms of law. She had no choice but to follow Fleur and Hestia's leads, raising her hand every time they did, swallowing her anxiety about whether she'd just voted for something that would make it harder to exonerate Draco or Blaise.