A little over a year ago, when You-Know-Who appeared at the Ministry of Magic to announce his return, former Minister of Magic Mr. Cornelius Fudge was forced to step down amid public outcry.
As Mr. Fudge himself put it:
"In all my years in office, I've never seen them so united over a single issue."
Amelia Bones, then Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, succeeded him as Minister.
Upon taking office, her first decree was to declare a state of emergency across the entire wizarding world.
Under the emergency decree, Aurors gained the authority to detain suspected Death Eaters without trial, sending them straight to Azkaban to be interrogated by Dementors.
It was under these circumstances that Mrs. Diana Greengrass was arrested and imprisoned in Azkaban for several months.
However, with Voldemort's renewed downfall, the state of emergency naturally ended. The Ministry of Magic was now obligated to retry these Death Eater suspects who had spent time in Azkaban.
...
"Diana Greengrass!"
Mrs. Bones called out the name loudly.
Whispers spread through the chamber among the surrounding witches and wizards.
Madam Greengrass had worked at the Ministry for many years and was generally well-liked. Most of the witches and wizards present were her former acquaintances.
Even though her arrest had happened months earlier, many of her former colleagues were still deeply shocked by the incident.
Jon frowned slightly but said nothing.
The door in the corner opened again, and two Dementors escorted a woman inside.
She looked weak, her face pale and her eyes vacant. She had lost all the grace she once carried.
She sat down in the chained chair, though the chains did not bind her as they had Horace Slughorn.
"Diana Greengrass, you are brought before the Magical Law Enforcement Committee to answer charges of Death Eater activity," Mrs. Bones stated.
"We have received testimony accusing you, and we will now hear your defense before making a judgment. Do you have anything to say at this time?"
"None, Madam!"
Though Mrs. Greengrass appeared frail, her voice remained steady.
"Very well, then let us begin," Mrs. Bones nodded.
"Diana Greengrass, you stand accused of disclosing the size and movements of the 'Disinformation Office' special operations team to Death Eaters during the West Coast giant attacks... ultimately leading to the capture of eleven Ministry employees, including Dirk Cresswell, Amos Diggory, and Cuthbert Mortridge."
"Do you admit to this crime?"
"Yes, I admit it," Mrs. Greengrass replied calmly.
A buzzing murmur instantly filled the interrogation chamber.
Most suspects brought here for trial would either deny their crimes outright, make excuses, or stubbornly declare loyalty to You-Know-Who.
Someone who admitted guilt so calmly and directly was extremely rare.
Mrs. Bones frowned.
After a pause, she continued.
"Diana Greengrass, when you provided information to the Death Eaters, were you acting under your own will?"
"Or were you influenced by the Imperius Curse, Veritaserum, or other magical spells or potions?"
"No," Mrs. Greengrass shook her head.
"I voluntarily disclosed the information to the Death Eaters."
...
The chamber erupted in noise.
Most of the witches and wizards present began discussing the matter openly, forgetting the setting entirely. Many could not hide their astonishment at Mrs. Greengrass's response.
Even Minister Amelia Bones stood frozen for a moment, failing to restore order as she usually did.
"Well, I believe the situation is quite clear now," Rufus Scrimgeour declared, his voice harsh.
"Diana Greengrass, thank you for your cooperation during this interrogation. You will return to Azkaban until we have thoroughly reviewed your case and issued a verdict."
Just as Scrimgeour prepared to summon the Dementors, a hand rose at a rather inconvenient moment.
"Do you have any objections, Mr. Hart?" Scrimgeour asked coldly.
At the mention of that name, Mrs. Greengrass's vacant eyes suddenly flickered with surprise.
She lifted her head slightly, trying to see the owner of the name—but quickly lowered it again.
"No, of course not," Jon said as he stood up, meeting Scrimgeour's sharp gaze.
"Very fair."
"However—"
Jon smiled faintly.
"I have received a request from a student, Miss Daphne Greengrass. She hopes to post bail for her mother and bring her home to recover until the Ministry of Magic reaches a final verdict."
Scrimgeour looked visibly irritated, but Jon continued calmly.
"According to the Magical Criminal Law of 1826, any wizard may be granted bail during legal proceedings in which they are accused or convicted, or in related proceedings."
"I am certainly familiar with the Magical Criminal Law!" Scrimgeour snapped.
"But bail is not permitted for serious and heinous crimes—"
"I believe we may have slightly different interpretations of what constitutes a 'serious and heinous crime,'" Jon said with a small shrug.
He then turned toward Mrs. Bones.
"Minister, what do you think?"
Amelia Bones's expression became complicated.
...
After a period of noisy discussion—
"Those in favor of granting bail to Greengrass, raise your hands," Mrs. Bones announced clearly.
Jon Hart raised his hand.
One by one, several others followed, quite a number in fact.
Even Amelia Bones herself raised her hand after a brief moment of thought.
"Those opposed to granting bail to Greengrass, raise your hands."
Scrimgeour raised his hand, along with six or seven others—including a witch to his right, a bearded wizard, and a curly-haired witch in the second row.
Scrimgeour glanced around at the crowd, then lowered his hand.
He drew two slow breaths, clearly struggling to suppress his anger.
"She won't escape punishment," Scrimgeour muttered.
"She'll just spend a few fewer days in Azkaban."
"Very well," Mrs. Bones concluded.
"The bail request for Diana Greengrass is approved. Mr. Jon Hart will serve as her guarantor. You must post bail in the amount of 300 Galleons."
"If the suspect escapes while on bail, you will bear serious consequences."
"Of course, I understand," Jon nodded.
Two tall Dementors approached and escorted Mrs. Greengrass away.
However, she would not be returning to Azkaban for the time being. Instead, she would remain in a room next to the interrogation chamber.
...
The trials continued.
One Death Eater suspect after another was brought forward: first Antonin Dolohov, then Thorfinn Rowle, then Augustus Rookwood.
Most were long-time residents of Azkaban. Their guilt was firmly established, and the interrogations proceeded quickly.
Jon did not voice any opinions.
Two hours later, when Minister Bones finally declared the session concluded—
Jon stood up and walked toward the adjoining room.
As her guarantor, he was now allowed to take custody of the suspect he had bailed out: Diana Greengrass.
Mrs. Greengrass sat quietly in the center of the room, looking somewhat desolate.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up hurriedly.
"I don't understand, ma'am," Jon sighed softly.
"Why didn't you leave Azkaban with Lucius Malfoy?"