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+------ Thread: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite (/showthread.php?tid=853)
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RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Harper Campbell - 01-28-2026
Well, it was good Ruth Elliot hadn't been called to the witness stand for Blackwood's trial.
If she knew it or not, whether she cared or didn't -- every word she said damned Ruby Haswell closer to Askaban and farther from position as headmistress. Harper had to admit it was quite entertaining, watching and listening to the girl rant about the things gone haywire at Hogwarts. The indignation was strong with this one.
The best part came in response to Crowe's own questioning however, aimed at damage control by discrediting Miss Elliot's statements but achieving quite the opposite.
She went off on him like a bomb, taking all but five minutes to shred the man to pieces, and along with him the headmistress. Harper's carefully stoic expression couldn't keep the slight smile from showing, amusement twinkling behind her eyes.
Two careers destroyed by a fifteen year old girl in the span of a couple minutes. Quite impressive.
Less impressive, as per usual, was the minister. Although he did manage to dig up more words than Harper expected, seeming rather testy today.
But unafraid to throw his own appointee under the bus. All the better.
At last it was time for the defendant herself to take the witness stand and Harper spoke up once Nordstrom had posed his inquiries. "Did you at any point throughout the term of 1920/21 suspect any foul play at Hogwarts, causing the magical disruptions? Did you ever grow suspicious of the two terrorists working under your lead at all?"
A bit of a trick question. Either she hadn't, which would reflect badly on her with the background that she held. Or she had, which would beg the question of why she hadn't acted on her suspicions.
RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Galen MacLean - 01-28-2026
"There were stronger options. Unfortunately none of which who were willing to take the job after the mess the previous administration made. So Haswell it was."
Galen nodded, making some notes. Some of the words he jotted down were ‘unprepared’, ‘unqualified’, ‘horrible appointment’.
So basically Haswell had been the only option, the only person willing to jump on the chance for the job title. He knew about her family. Wholly unremarkable. But she had always tried to do everything her father wanted her to do. Which is, he assumed, why she even took the role.
The Minister took his leave, and Haswell took the stand. This would be interesting.
Blue eyes shifted to the faces who asked questions of the Headmistress. The questions were quite damning, and unfortunately he had one of his own to add to the pool.
“Given the number and variety of disruptions, did the possibility ever arise that they might be drawing attention away from something else?”
Honestly… it was quite sad to sit here in the chambers and watch a woman who had been a successful auror go down in flames. But no one could save her. She’d missed the signs. There had to have been signs. Perhaps if she had met with everyone on her staff more often. Perhaps if she had investigated their personal lives… who they associated with and such… it could have been prevented.
Instead, it’s as if she was out of her league from the moment term began.
RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Ruby Haswell - 01-28-2026
Everything was going to shit quicker than Ruby liked to admit. Well, she didn’t want to admit to anything she was feeling at the moment. It seemed the longer that witnesses spoke, the more questions that Crowe asked, the more damning it was looking for her. What the fuck was she going to do?
She could hear her father’s voice that she was sure would come after the trial: You are a disgrace to the name Haswell.
She continued to clench her fist shut, her nails digging a bit into her palm. Her other hand rested neatly on top of the clenched fist, in an effort to hide the way her knuckles were turning white from the amount of pressure.
“Ruby Haswell gave no orders because she was woefully out of her league and didn’t know what to do. Again, I instructed them all to take him alive. It was not the outcome.”
What an insufferable misogynist. Merrow was a horrible Minister, and should never have had the job. She was sure others in the room may say the same about her as the Headmistress, now that she saw where things were going. However, she still refused to go down without a fight.
When she was called to the stand, Ruby stood and walked, her movements steady and precise. She sat, her back straight, feet planted firmly on the floor. She was not as comfortable or confident as she had been when she first entered the chambers. But her face still was unreadable, completely emotionless.
There was a fire in her eyes though. And she trained them on the Facilitator as he began the questioning.
“Miss Haswell, the night of March 12th, when you were alerted to the abduction, can you please explain what went through your mind when you learned that three students had been taken? Also, once you were assembled at the base of the tower with the Minister, Blackwood and Barlowe, it has been said that you instructed Mr. Barlowe to go first, followed by Mr. Blackwood. Why, with twenty-four years of Auror experience did you think it wise to send two professors with no MLE experience up the stairs first?”
“The only thing that went through my mind was getting everyone inside safely, and heading to the Dark Tower as quickly as possible.”
Feelings? She was sure she’d had feelings, and probably other thoughts too. But she wouldn’t give them that much.
“When we reached the base of the tower, my priority was to reach the students without alerting Arthur Thayer that we were advancing in force. Professor Barlowe is an Animagus, so I directed him to ascend first in his animal form so that he could move silently, reduce our visibility, and, if possible, position himself closer to the hostages before Thayer became aware of us.”
If things had gone that way, what would have happened? Because while her idea was sound, it just didn’t work out the way she had envisioned.
“The intent was surprise and containment, not engagement. If we could close the distance without triggering a confrontation, the students could be secured with minimal risk,” she continued. “That plan failed when Thayer detected us sooner than anticipated.”
She just wanted this over with. Ruby wanted to know her fate.
"Did you at any point throughout the term of 1920/21 suspect any foul play at Hogwarts, causing the magical disruptions? Did you ever grow suspicious of the two terrorists working under your lead at all?"
Nodding slightly, Ruby took a breath before responding. ”Yes, I was aware that something at Hogwarts was not functioning as it should have been, of course. Following the exposure of Nicholas Halloway’s actions, the school was in a period of instability already. Wards were being reforged, long-standing enchantments dismantled and replaced. Magical disruptions during that term were investigated as technical and structural failures consistent with that upheaval. At no point, until after everything happened, did I possess evidence that those disruptions were the result of deliberate sabotage, nor did I have information that would have justified identifying specific members of staff as extremists.”
Would it be enough?
“Both individuals later revealed to be involved concealed their activities effectively and operated within the authority and trust granted to them. Had there been actionable proof of terrorist intent, I would have acted immediately. There was none.”
But now Ruby was thinking back to the times she had interacted with the two professors. Had there been signs? Was there more she could have done? Instead, she had run around like a chicken with her head cut off, unable to make sound decisions.
“Given the number and variety of disruptions, did the possibility ever arise that they might be drawing attention away from something else?”
She kept her gaze on the professor as the words left his mouth. And she was silent for a moment before responding.
“The possibility was considered in the abstract,” she said evenly. “When disruptions are widespread and varied, it is responsible to consider more than one explanation. But without evidence of intent, that possibility remained theoretical. There was nothing at the time that indicated the disruptions were coordinated or being used to mask a specific threat. In the absence of proof, treating them as deliberate distractions would have required acting on speculation rather than information. That is not a standard I was willing to apply to members of staff or to the operation of the school.” She tightened her jaw. ”I monitored the situation. I did not have cause to escalate it as a counter-terrorism concern until March 12th made the reality clear.”
When it was Crowe’s turn, he rose halfway from his seat. As he did so, his eyes flicked to his client. She wasn’t looking at him. Her posture remained the same, stiff and unwavering. Honestly, there was nothing left to say.
The man exhaled slowly. Any question would invite explanation, which would invite judgement, which would only tighten the noose already drawn.
He sat back down.
“The defence has no questions.”
Ruby’s icy blue eyes finally landed on Crowe’s. Her stomach dropped a bit. That was it. She was done defending herself. There was nothing more she could say. Everything was quite literally out of her hands. To say she felt the axe ready to drop on her was an understatement, still… the woman stood calmly and made her way back to her spot next to Crowe.
RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Bertram Nordstrom - 01-29-2026
“The possibility remained theoretical…”
“Deliberate distractions would have required acting on speculation rather than information…”
None of her responses sat well with Bertram. The rogue magic around the castle wasn’t theoretical. The disruptions weren’t theoretical. They were a giant red flag waving in the wind that no one wanted to look at. This entire tragedy could have been prevented, if only Ruby had opened her eyes.
Bertram didn't rise immediately after Ruby finished answering the questions posed by the Wizengamot. Watching Crowe sit down, having no questions for his witness was a bold move. One Bram thought was a huge mistake. He let the silence of Crowe’s surrender fill the room, the proverbial white flag sticking out of his coat pocket. The defense had nothing left to say because there was nothing left to defend. Ruby’s own testimony had been the final nail; admitting that she saw the smoke for six months and decided it wasn't a fire.
When Bertram finally stood and approached the podium, eyes only for Ruby, sending a clear message.
"We have heard a great deal today about what transpired last term at Hogwarts, and specifically what led up to the tragedy of March 12th." Bertram began, his voice low, vibrating with a controlled, resigned fury. "Miss Haswell asks us to believe that twenty-four years of hunting dark wizards left her unable to recognize the clear sabotage at play in her school. She asks us to believe that when the safety of Hogwarts was at stake, when its wards crumbled and its students went hungry, she monitored the situation. And we expected to find that acceptable?”
Bertram sighed. The last year had worn him down. When he got word that Everleigh had been in the tower and suffered torture and near death he wanted someone to pay. At first, he thought Thayer was enough, but it wasn’t. There was a failure of duty that must be accounted for.
"A Headmistress is not a spectator. A veteran Auror is not a civilian. By her own admission, she saw the magic instability and did nothing but watch it. She allowed two terrorists to run loose in her halls, to sleep within the walls, and to teach her students, all because she was unwilling to act on anything less than absolute proof.”
Bertram turned and looked at the members of the Wizengamot. In a few short minutes they would have a serious job on their hands, but he knew they were up to the task.
"And then we come to the Tower. A rescue led by two professors, while the most trained person in the room followed from behind. A rescue that nearly ended in the death of Ruth Elliot, Maevie Golding and Everleigh Ravenstone. Minister Merrow said it best: she was woefully out of her league, but being out of one's league is not a legal defense for Manslaughter and Child Endangerment.”
“The Prosecution has shown that Ruby Haswell neglected her administrative duties as Headmistress. She ignored the warning signs of a terrorist presence, signs that were far from subtle. No, they were literally blowing up in her face. Finally, she executed a rescue so reckless it was a miracle only one person died. Arthur Thayer may have cast the spells and kidnapped the children, but Ruby Haswell opened the doors, shut her eyes, and turned her back. Her inability to act when the first reports of sabotage reached her was the catalyst. That small snowball of inaction grew into an avalanche. And when Thayer took those three girls, her continued failure to act left one man dead and three young girls irrevocably changed."
The only sound in the room was the sound of quill on parchment of someone taking notes.
Bertram took a breath, looked at Crowe, then Ruby and nodded once. She had one more chance to change her fate, but it was unlikely that Crowe would be able to save her.
“Mr. Crowe, you may now deliver your closing arguments.”
RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Ruby Haswell - 01-29-2026
As Nordstrom looked at her, Ruby set her jaw. Her face remained blank, unreadable, as it had before. She was done for. As he spoke about her negligence and what a terrible job she’d done, she knew there was no point in fighting. She wasn’t waving a white flag, but she wasn’t defending herself anymore.
She stayed still, even as Crowe stood. He didn’t look at Ruby, he didn’t look at Nordstrom, only at the witches and wizards who would be deciding her fate.
”Members of the Wizengamot, this case has never been about whether something went wrong at Hogwarts. Something went catastrophically wrong. Three children were taken and one man died. No one here disputes those facts.”
Crowe didn’t like that he would be losing this one. This had been a big case, and he’d taken it with full optimism.
“What you have been asked to decide today is not whether the outcome was tragic, but whether tragedy alone constitutes a crime. The prosecution has argued that the warning signs were obvious, that the disruptions were a red flag. And that hindsight renders the pattern unmistakable.”
He paused, still not looking at his client.
“But hindsight is not foresight. It is incredibly easy to look backward from disaster and insist that every prior irregularity was inevitable, intentional, and clearly connected. That is not how law functions. That is how stories are told.”
He took a step forward.
“Headmistress Haswell did not deny instability. She did not deny disruption or even responsibility. She denied certainty. She was asked to treat anomalies as proof. To act on suspicion rather than evidence. To label colleagues as terrorists without cause. That is not vigilance, that is paranoia. And paranoia is not a legal standard.”
Crowe’s gaze hardened slightly as he narrowed his eyes just a little bit. “The prosecution would have you believe that restraint is negligence. That refusing to act without proof is failure. That waiting for information is abandonment. If that is the precedent this court sets, then no institution governed by law can function. Every leader becomes criminally liable not for what they knew, but for what might later be revealed.”
He shook his head. “Headmistress Haswell was not a spectator. She monitored. She investigated. She stabilized. And when the threat became undeniable, when children were taken, she acted immediately. She attempted a rescue designed to minimize confrontation. She attempted extraction before engagement. The plan failed not because it was reckless, but because the adversary acted unpredictably.”
Another step forward, his eyes scanning the room. “The law does not demand omniscience. It does not demand perfection. It demands reasonableness under the circumstances as they existed at the time, not as they appear afterward.”
Crowe inhaled. He was almost finished. ”Arthur Thayer chose to betray his position. Arthur Thayer chose to kidnap and torture children. Arthur Thayer chose to escalate violence. Ruby Haswell chose to act within the bounds of law, evidence, and responsibility. If this court finds her guilty, it will not be because she caused tragedy. It will be because she failed to predict it.”
Finally, Crowe looked at Bertram. “And that, members of the Wizengamot, is not justice. That is fear, dressed up as law.”
He stood for a moment before finally returning to his seat.
Ruby was still not looking at him.
RE: The Wizengamot vs. Haswell :: Invite - Bertram Nordstrom - 01-29-2026
Bertram didn't blink as Crowe delivered his final jab. "Fear, dressed up as law." It was a poetic line, the kind of flowery banter Bertram used to admire when he was a younger solicitor. But now, with the weight of the Head of Magical Affairs office on his shoulders and the memory of Everleigh’s trauma, it fell flat. It wasn't fear that brought them here, it was the wreckage left behind by Thayer, and by Ruby’s inaction.
He let the silence settle over the room one last time. The tension was thick. Ruby remained quiet. Crowe looked almost annoyed. Actually trying a case was a lot harder than making plea deals. Thankfully, after this utter failure, Crowe would likely have very few clients.
Bertram stood, his posture rigid, his hands resting flat on the podium. He turned his gaze toward the rows of witches and wizards awaiting their commands.
"Members of the Wizengamot, the floor is now closed to further argument. You have heard the testimony of the victims, the Minister, and the accused herself. You must now decide if Headmistress Haswell failed in her Duty, or if she did her job to the best of her ability.”
Bertram reached for the gavel.
"You are tasked with two counts. First-degree Manslaughter and Child Endangerment. You will weigh the evidence following the letter of the law. Once you have reached a consensus, the verdict will be read, and the sentence, should there be one, will be immediate."
“The Wizengamot will now begin deliberations."
CRACK
Bertram stood as the members of the Wizengamot returned to their seats. It had taken the better part of five hours to come to a decision. The atmosphere in the room had shifted from the heat of debate to the heavy burden of judgment. He held a single piece of parchment in his hand. He didn't need to look at it, the numbers were burned into his mind.
"The Wizengamot has reached a verdict," Bertram’s voice was loud, steady and formal.
"On the charge of Manslaughter in the Second Degree under Magical Statute 345.B..." He paused, the silence thick. "The court finds the accused Not Guilty."
He allowed a small murmur to ripple through the room before raising his hand for silence. He knew Crowe would take this as a victory, but it was a short lived one.
"On the charge of Child Endangerment under Magical Statute 102.A, pertaining to the sustained negligence and failure of the Duty of Care at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..." Bertram took a deep breath, before letting the words come out.
"The court finds the accused Guilty."
The crack of his gavel followed immediately to stifle any outcry.
"Ruby Haswell, you were entrusted with the most precious part of our society, our children. You were given the tools of an Auror and the authority of a Headmistress, and you chose to remain a spectator while a tragedy unfolded in your own halls. The law does not demand omniscience, as your council argued, but it does demand action. Your inaction has left scars that no charm can heal."
Bertram cleared his throat, the finality of the sentence hardening his tone.
"It is the decision of this body that you be stripped of your position as Headmistress of Hogwarts effective immediately. Furthermore, you are sentenced to a term of two years in Azkaban, followed by a five year suspension of your right to hold any position of authority over minors within the Wizarding World."
He looked at the Aurors that had silently walked up behind Ruby while the verdict was being read.
"Take the prisoner away." Ruby was silent, blank face, no reaction.
Ruby was walked out of the courtroom, the sound of her heels loud in the silence of the chamber. It was not a job he loved, sending someone to Azkaban was never pleasant, but he also knew that it was warranted.
He looked at the members of the Wizengamot, many of whom were already gathering their cloaks and hushed whispers. ”Members of the Wizengamot, I thank you for your service to the law and your professionalism. The sentence is final, the verdict recorded. This session of the Wizengamot is hereby adjourned.”
The gavel hit the podium with a definitive crack. It was over, but as Bertram looked at the empty chair in the center of the room, he knew that for the families involved, the trial would do very little to help them heal from the tragedy.
Thank you all for your participation with the trial! Next up, the trial of Professor Maddox Barlowe. Watch the discord for more information!
Powerplay of Ruby approved by her human!