Follow the prisoner

Hugo followed the officer to the corridor. It was not his first time being picked up for a misdemeanour, so he had some idea of what to expect. A fine, community service for a week or two, and possibly a night in jail. "This is bullshit - how was I meant to know she was an enforcer?!"

"You know you're not meant to be messing around with anyone, enforcer or not, and especially not with such a high rank one," the officer replied, without turning to look at him.

Hugo groaned, resigned. "Fair point."

Messing with non-magic was like littering at this point - as long as you're not ruining lives or hurting people, it was just a cost to the magic community to pay people to go undo the changes and wipe memories - but still illegal. Messing with magicians was illegal too, but the primary disincentive was the risk of getting a counterspell blasted back in your face, rather than someone trying to press charges. In any case, trying to enchant an officer of the law is pretty ill-informed.

The officer sat him down and handed him a clipboard with a long table. "You know the drill: names, places, memory snapshots. Everyone you messed with."

Hugo scratched his chin, and said meekly, "I'm gonna need a few more pages."

The officer cringed, thinking of his prolificacy, and used their wrist to call a few more pages to float from their desk to Hugo's clipboard. They left him to fill it in, one victim at a time.

Hugo worked backwards, getting the easy ones out of the way. The memory snapshots were uncomfortable to imprint on the form, especially as you go back further, so he tried to pace himself so as to avoid repetitive imprint injury.

"All done?" The officer appeared out of nowhere.

Hugo nodded, passing up the clipboard.

The officer flipped through the (many) pages. "Okay then. Looks like this list is long enough for a magicstrate. Follow me."

They walked for minutes through the vast building. Hugo observed how the labyrinth of identical beige corridors are perfectly illustrative of the boring bureaucratic nature of the people in it. Hugo was by no means an anarchist, but he had a hard time understanding why a beachgoer oblivious to magic wouldn't appreciate some impromptu free breast implants, especially after he'd had a few drinks, and he had an even harder time understanding why the magic community cared enough to stop him.

"Sit there and wait to be called in."

The officer deposited him on a chair outside the courtroom and left him to be processed accordingly.

"Oh fantastic. Mr Francis again. Stand please." The magicstrate's words were dripping with sarcasm.

Hugo stood before the magicstrate, itching his chin as he glanced nervously at the typewriter magically recording notes of the hearing.

"How can you possibly be back? It's only been a few months since you were last here." She glanced at her notes and read: "14 counts of discharging magic in plain view of non-magics; 29 charges of use of magic under the influence; 54 charges of petty meddling with non-magics; and -- wow", she looked taken aback for a moment, "attempting to curse an officer of the magic law? Even for you, that's a bit much. What possessed you to do that?!"

"Well, I--"

Without looking up from her paper, she touched her forefinger to her thumb and his mouth snapped shut. He knew not to fight it.

"That was rhetorical."

His jaw was his own again.

"I was getting tired of seeing you in my court, but luckily you managed to screw yourself this time. This is a $10,000 fine and up to a year in prison."

Hugo snapped out of his cool demeanour, but still stayed politely quiet, aware of the damage protesting can do. He stood silently, imagining what he would do to her if she put her guard down for even a moment (although that might be the last magic he ever cast).

"Relax, this is a deferred sentence. I believe in rehabilitation. I'm going to give you a magic tracker for three months. If you so much as enchant a hair on an unsuspecting person's head you're going straight to prison. Otherwise, just the fine. I'm hoping I won't see you here again!"

The magicstrate struck her gavel with joy and left for her break, intending to use her leave to reassess how being top of her law class got her here.

Hugo revealed his upper arm the court officer so they could add the tracker, a tattoo-like magical insignia on his skin. He knew now that every time he used magic for the next three months would make its way to some kill-joy in this building. His summer was ruined.

Author's note: I am so sorry for my use of 'magicstrate'. I can't help myself sometimes.