Chapter Text
The summer following the end of the war had somehow both flown by and dragged at the same time.
Harry found that he had a hundred things he had to do and a hundred other things people wanted from him. For starters, he had the DMLE constantly hounding him to testify at the Death Eater trials. Something he really didn’t want to participate in. He was so damned exhausted and no one would let him rest.
“You should go, mate,” Ron told him. “Make sure those bastards go away forever.”
“I think the Wizengamot can handle sending them all to Azkaban without my help,” Harry sighed. “Ideally I’ll never set foot in that chamber ever again. I’ve never had even one good experience in there.”
“What about when they cleared you of underaged magic and overturned your expulsion?” Ron reminded him.
“You think that was a good experience?” Harry demanded. “That trial was a fucking joke! Fudge and Umbridge used it as a platform for calling me and Dumbledore mad in a public forum. If Mrs Figg hadn’t witnessed the whole thing, I’d have been expelled for sure.”
There was no arguing with that but Ron tried anyway. He bothered Harry relentlessly about testifying until Harry finally blew up at him.
“ You testify then if it’s so damned important to you!” he shouted.
“Harry, dear, language please,” Mrs Weasley admonished him.
“What’s this ‘language please’ rubbish, mum,” Ron pouted. “If I swore you’d be scourgifying my mouth out.”
“Mother’s prerogative, dear,” she returned sweetly.
“Sorry, Mrs Weasley,” Harry apologised.
“Harry, you’re a man now, I think it’s about time you call me Molly,” she said gently.
She’d been trying to get him to call her by her first name all summer. Arthur too. It was taking some getting used to.
He’d been staying at the Burrow since the Battle. He’d considered going back to Grimmauld Place but found he couldn’t bear to be alone just now. Hermione had immediately gone to Australia to look for her parents so it was just Harry, Ron and Ginny at the Burrow with their parents. George stopped in now and again but insisted he had to rebuild the shop as it’s what Fred would have wanted.
Another frequent visitor was Andromeda with baby Teddy.
Molly absolutely adored having a baby in the house and insisted Andy come any time she was feeling overwhelmed. Teddy had taken to changing his hair to ginger any time Molly held him, much to her delight.
Harry also volunteered to help Andy out with the baby any time she needed it, insisting that it was what Remus had wanted. Teddy was starting to look so much like his father that Harry often had to choke back tears whenever he held him.
“You’ll have to teach him about the Marauders when he grows up,” George said one day while Harry was holding a sleeping Teddy while Andromeda grabbed a much needed nap in the twins’ old bedroom which had become Harry’s room while he stayed there. “Gotta pass on the legacy.”
“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “I think when he’s Hogwarts age, I’ll give him the Map. I think Remus would approve.”
“He’d pretend not to though,” George said grinning. “Always had to be the teacher in the room.”
Harry smiled at that. He couldn’t help but try to live how he thought the dead would want him to. Remus and Sirius would want him to be happy. It’s the only thing they would care about. Remus would of course also want his son to be happy and cared for too. Harry was determined to do all of that, but the expectations of the living were much louder and harder to live up to.
He had journalists requesting interviews, publicists interested in book deals, barristers insisting he testify at trials–even the ones for Death Eaters he’d had no contact with. He was bombarded with owls nearly every day from strangers demanding things from him.
He was sure to read every letter just in case there was something actually worthwhile in them but threw most of them away without reply. Requests for testimony he had to reply formally to, however, as it was important to have the documentation for the trials.
One day though, three weeks into summer, he’d received a request for testimony that he hesitated to throw out. He read the name in the defendant field over and over. Narcissa Malfoy.
His mind flew back to the Forest. He laid on the leaf-littered ground, limp, helpless. Sure that Voldemort would figure out that he’d lived yet again. But the hands that checked his pulse were soft and gentle.
“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?” she’d whispered into his ear.
“Yes,” he’d replied.
“He’s dead,” she’d lied to her master.
That lie had saved Harry’s life and possibly that of the rest of wizarding Britain. Harry owed her a life debt. A very serious thing among wizards, Harry had learned. But she wasn’t the only one Harry owed his life to.
He shuffled through the rest of his post for the day and found another letter from the DMLE. He tore it open and found what he’d expected. The defendant on this request was Draco Malfoy. There was a third for Lucius Malfoy, but he discarded that one. He owed Lucius nothing.
But Draco he owed his life to as well. Draco who was roped into being a Death Eater by his father. Who never had the stomach for killing and torture. Who was terrified every moment since Voldemort had set foot in his home. Who would rather have run far away than been involved in any of it. As terrified as he was, Draco had still refused to identify Harry when he’d been caught by snatchers.
He stood up, discarded the rest of the letters and held tightly to the two he’d singled out. He started digging around the writing desk in the Weasleys’ living room for parchment, ink and quill.
“What’s with you?” Ron asked, coming into the room still in his pyjamas and his hair sticking up on one side.
Harry didn’t reply as he began penning a reply to the DMLE.
To whom it may concern,
In reply to the DMLE’s request that I testify at the trials of Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, I accept the request and will be testifying for the defence. Please send any requirements I must complete by owl to The Burrow in Ottery St Catchpole, Devon.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
“Defence?!” Ron exclaimed, reading over his shoulder. “You’re going to speak on the defence of the Malfoys? Have you lost your marbles?”
“It’s rude to read other people’s letters,” Harry said shortly, waving the parchment around to dry the ink before folding it up and sealing it in an envelope. “Can I borrow Pigwidgeon?”
“Not if it’s to send that!” Ron snapped.
“You’re the one that’s been bugging me to testify at these trials all summer, Ron,” Harry argued back. “Now when I’ve finally decided to do so, you have a problem with it.”
“That’s because you’ve come to the batshit decision to defend a pair of Death Eaters!”
“Ronald!” Molly hollered from the kitchen. She came into the living room to scold her son, spatula in hand. She’d clearly just been in the middle of making breakfast. “Just what is the call for all this yelling and swearing so early in the morning?”
“Harry wants to testify in defence of the Malfoys at trial!” he shouted in a tattle-tale voice.
“Not all of them,” Harry argued impatiently. “Just Narcissa and Draco. Lucius can rot for all I care.”
“They’re Death Eaters , Harry!” he said like Harry was being particularly dense.
“They saved my life, Ron!” Harry snapped.
“Well whoopty-doo!” he said sarcastically. “Let’s give them a fucking medal!”
“Ronald, if you don’t watch your language I’m going to wash your mouth out,” Molly threatened. She turned to Harry with a kind and patient expression. “I know you feel you owe them, Harry but are you sure about this? If you defend them with your social standing, they could very well go free. Is that something you want? Do you believe they deserve it?”
“I’m not saying they’re nice perfect people,” Harry sighed. “I’m saying they don’t deserve to spend their entire lives in prison for the decisions of another person. The way I see it, neither of them had any choice in the matter. Lucius made all of the decisions that put them in that position. If they’d had any control over their fates, neither of them would have been involved at all. And when they were provided an opportunity to make a choice, they chose to do good. They saved my life, Molly. I owe them. They deserve a second chance.”
“Well, if you’re sure, dear,” she said gently. “Why don’t you use Errol. He should be able to manage a trip to London.”
“Mum!” Ron exclaimed.
“Harry is a grown man, Ron,” she scolded. “He doesn’t need to have your approval for every decision he makes.”
Ron’s dissent didn’t stop after the letter was sent. It continued nearly every free moment leading up to the trial. It had gotten so tedious that he’d taken to visiting Andromeda and Teddy at their house just to get away from him from time to time.
The day the trial arrived, Harry went to the Ministry with Arthur. He was happy he had because he wasn’t sure he would have been able to survive the press of reporters that greeted them in the atrium without his comforting support. Arthur escorted him to visitor check in where Harry handed over his wand for inspection.
“I have another wand with me,” Harry informed the desk clerk. “Do you need to see that one too?”
“Another wand?” the clerk looked baffled. “Why would you need two wands?”
“This one belongs to someone else,” Harry explained, presenting the hawthorn wand. “I’m hopping to return it to him today.”
“And whose wand is it and how did you come to have possession of it?”
“It belongs to Draco Malfoy,” Harry said, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from the clerk. “I nicked it off him months ago.”
The clerk just ogled him for several moments.
“If you could just check me in,” Harry prompted. “I’m testifying at a couple of trials today and I don’t think it’s a good look to be late.”
So the clerk checked him in and recorded both wands before sending him on his way. Harry and Arthur parted ways at the lifts, Arthur to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office and Harry all the way down to the courtrooms.
Harry found himself staring at the unfortunately familiar door leading to the Department of Mysteries. It still haunted his dreams despite Voldemort’s defeat. When he thought of that door all he could remember was Sirius falling through the Veil and disappearing from the world of the living forever. His chest hurt and his throat constricted every time he remembered.
“Mr Potter?” a reedy voice interrupted his reverie.
Harry snapped out of it and turned to face the small balding man with a wispy grey moustache. This was Mr Grimsby, the Malfoys’ solicitor and occasional barrister. Harry had been communicating back and forth with him over the last week and a half to discuss his testimony. Harry found he didn’t like the shady little man at all but if he had any hope of getting Narcissa and Draco off he had to deal with him.
“We’ll be starting with Mrs Malfoy’s trial,” he informed him. “I’d like to call you as my last witness, if you don’t mind, to leave the Wizengamot with your impression of her.”
“Right,” Harry agreed easily.
They’d gone over this already but either Grimsby was being particularly thorough or Harry’s preoccupation with the Department of Mysteries had not filled him with confidence at Harry’s fitness to testify. Probably the latter as the barrister gave him a particularly searching look.
“You’re not going to blow this are you?” he demanded. “Because if you are, I’d rather not call you at all. Mrs Malfoy has an excellent chance of getting off either way and if you’re going to hurt her chances–”
“I’m fine,” Harry interrupted. “I want to help her.”
He knew there was little evidence for conviction of Narcissa Malfoy. As far as Harry was aware, she’d never actually committed any crimes and had been assumed guilty by association. Grimsby intended to argue emotional abuse and coercion for both Narcissa and Draco. It was a solid argument as far as Harry could tell.
When the trial began, it was all very boring and dry. A Ministry representative argued for the prosecution and Grimsby for the defence. Grimsby spoke passionately about Narcissa like she was a battered woman who’d had no choice but to stay at her husband’s side in order to protect her son. The ministry could provide no concrete evidence that she’d participated in any crimes whatsoever except for harbouring Voldemort and his followers in her home which Grimsby argued was actually the actions of her husband.
Then Harry took the stand. Narcissa evidently hadn’t been told that he’d be testifying because her eyes widened and her head shot around to look at him when his name was called.
“Please speak your full name for the court,” Kingsley Shacklebolt instructed.
“Harry James Potter,” Harry answered in a clear voice.
“Understand, Mr Potter that you are under the expectation of the court to tell the whole truth and only the truth. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Very well,” Kingsley said, then indicated to Grimsby. “Your witness Mr Grimsby.”
Grimsby drew himself up importantly and addressed Harry as they’d discussed.
“Mr Potter, you’ve declined to testify at nearly every trial this summer, either for the prosecution or the defence, isn’t that correct?”
“That’s correct.”
“So what compels you to testify on behalf of Mrs Malfoy?”
Harry looked directly at Narcissa who was trying to keep composed but couldn’t help the slightly confused look on her face.
“She saved my life,” he answered simply.
A rush of whispers broke out over the assembly. This had evidently not been common knowledge.
“On what date, did she save your life, Mr Potter?” Grimsby continued after allowing the commotion to settle.
“The second of May this year,” he answered.
The Wizengamot began chattering again. Everyone knew this date was the very same as the Battle of Hogwarts. Kingsley had to bang the gavel several times to settle the court before Grimsby could continue his questioning.
“Could you recount the events that led to Mrs Malfoy saving your life to the court?”
So Harry described the part of the Battle where he was summoned to the Forbidden Forest by Voldemort with the promise that he’d spare the others. He recounted deciding to give himself up, believing he had no other choice. He didn’t include the information about being a horcrux as it was not something anyone alive other than himself, Ron and Hermione knew and he planned on keeping it that way. He described being struck with the killing curse for the second time in his life but made out that his survival was yet another unexplained miracle. Then he got to the part where Voldemort had ordered Narcissa to check if he was alive.
“She checked my pulse,” he said. The courtroom was dead silent, hanging on his every word. “She felt my heart beating. She asked me if her son, Draco was alive. I whispered that he was. Then she stood up and told Voldemort that I was dead. She lied to him to protect me and to protect her son.”
“Thank you, Mr Potter,” Grimsby said, then turned to the court. “As you can see from Mr Potter’s testimony, Narcissa Malfoy’s only concern was for the safety of her son. By lying to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named she saved Mr Potter’s life, and by extension, her son’s and everyone else’s in Britain–magic and muggle–as well.”
The ministry barrister only had one question for Harry.
“Mr Potter, is it your opinion that Narcissa Malfoy is not a danger to the public?”
“If I thought she was a danger, I wouldn’t be here,” he said simply.
The Wizengamot deliberated for several minutes, talking amongst themselves until it was time for the verdict.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot,” Kingsley addressed them. “By show of hands, on the matter of Narcissa Malfoy and the charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism and association with a terrorist, those in favour of a guilty verdict?”
Only a handful of hands rose into the air.
“And those in favour of an innocent verdict, dismissal of all charges and immediate release from custody?”
A sea of hands rose. Harry hadn’t expected it to be so unanimous. Neither had Narcissa as she let out an astonished gasp and he saw tears spring to her eyes. The chains that had been holding her to the chair in the centre of the court released her and her hands flew up to her mouth to stop herself from sobbing.
“The court thanks the witnesses for their time and Mrs Malfoy is released on her own recognisance and with the apologies of the court,” Kingsley stated and banged the gavel once.
Harry made his way down to the floor to where Mrs Malfoy was wringing the hand of Mr Grimsby in gratitude for his efforts. When she spotted him she surged forward to shake his hand too.
“Thank you so much, Mr Potter,” she said in a choked voice. “I don’t feel as though I deserved your support.”
“It was the least I could do,” he said sheepishly. “I assume you’ll be attending Draco’s trial in an hour as well?”
“Of course,” she said nodding vigorously. “Whatever comes, I’ll be at his side.”
Harry nodded. He’d expected that.
“Then I’ll be seeing you there,” he said in what he’d hoped was a friendly tone.
“You’re going?” she asked in surprise.
“Of course,” he confirmed. “I’m testifying for him as well.”
This time a sob managed to escape her and she completely lost whatever was left of her composure and she threw her arms around him.
“Thank you so much!” she cried into his shoulder. “We don’t deserve you!”
“Er…” Harry said awkwardly, never quite sure what to do when a woman cried on him. “That’s alright,” he managed, patting her awkwardly on the back. “Draco saved my life too. I kind of owe him.”
She pulled away, sniffling and delicately brushed tears from her eyes.
“I can see you’re a man who repays he debts,” she said shakily. “I know you and Draco have never gotten along.”
“My personal feelings toward your son in the past aren’t really a concern,” Harry shrugged. “I know how much he’s struggled these last few years. I know if he’d ever been given another choice he’d have chosen differently. I was there in the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore was killed, you know?”
Her eyes widened.
“Then you know Draco’s part in that?” she whispered.
“I know he lowered his wand when Dumbledore offered him a way out,” Harry said simply. “Given any other choice, Draco would be a good person. Maybe not my favourite person, but a good person overall.”
And that was what he would tell the court when the time came for Draco’s trial.
Draco’s list of charges was much longer than his mother’s; murder, conspiracy to commit murder, use of unforgivable curses, association with known terrorists, and orchestration of the Siege of Hogwarts. The Ministry barrister called several witnesses including Madam Rosmerta, Professor Slughorn, and Katie Bell who all confirmed that he had cursed them with the ultimate aim of killing Albus Dumbledore. Harry was glad that the Ministry hadn’t called Ron to make a victim statement as he didn’t think he’d be able to handle testifying on opposing sides from his best friend. They’d evidently decided they had enough witnesses to condemn him and Ron not actually having any proof that it was Malfoy who’d poisoned him, his testimony would be pure conjecture. As it was, the three people who had been Imperioused could only state that they had been cursed but not by whom, as they had no recollection of the event.
At any rate, Draco admitted to cursing them when questioned by the Ministry barrister, though denied using the Imperious on Slughorn or Katie. Clarifying that he’d used a Confundus charm on Slughorn and that he’d had no actual contact with Katie at all. The latter was ignored by the court as irrelevant as it was irrefutable that Katie had been Imperioused and Rosmerta confirmed that she’d been the one to do it while being under the Imperious herself.
Then it was Grimsby’s turn to question Malfoy.
“Mr Malfoy, did you kill Albus Dumbledore?” he started easy.
Harry was still amazed that people didn’t know how Dumbledore had died.
“No,” he stated firmly.
The courtroom erupted in outraged chatter. Several voices shouted over the din that he was obviously lying. Kingsley had to bang his gavel several times for order and when it was finally quiet, he invited Grimsby to continue his questioning.
“Do you know who did kill Dumbledore?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Will you please tell the court.”
“Severus Snape.”
Many hissed conversations broke out but the volume didn’t carry beyond a whisper. Kingsley banged his gavel for silence anyway and they settled.
“I have no further questions for my client, Minister,” Grimsby stated, returning to his seat.
The Wizengamot and Harry were all surprised by that announcement. Grimsby clearly didn’t intend to address Malfoy’s charges of the use of the Imperious Curse just yet. As much as Harry didn’t like Grimsby, he knew him to be an excellent lawyer, so assumed he had a plan.
“Very well, Mr Grimsby,” Kingsley stated. “You may call your next witness.”
“Thank you, Minister,” he simpered. “I call Harry Potter to the stand.”
Shock erupted through the courtroom, much more so than at Narcissa’s trial. Draco’s head shot up much like his mother’s had and his eyes found Harry’s and stared at him as though amazed that he was real. He didn’t take his eyes off him the entire time Harry spoke.
Harry described the events that took place in the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore was killed. He left nothing out except why they’d been in the Tower at all. He told the court what he could see from his vantage point under the Invisibility Cloak. How Draco’s wand arm and voice trembled, how he’d cried that he had to do it or his parents would be killed. He told them that he’d disarmed Dumbledore and he’d been entirely at his mercy but he’d hesitated, and when Dumbledore offered him his protection, he’d lowered his wand.
“Do you believe Mr Malfoy wanted to kill his headmaster?” Grimsby asked.
“No,” Harry said definitively.
“But what of the poisoned mead and cursed necklace?”
“Those never reached their destination, and in my opinion were clumsy and half-hearted attempts that I don’t believe Dumbledore would have fallen for.”
“And how can you be sure that Dumbledore wouldn’t have fallen for these attempts?”
“Because he said so himself in the Tower. He said he knew that whoever had been making those attempts on his life didn’t want to be doing it.”
“So you’re saying that if Albus Dumbledore were alive today, he’d forgive Mr Malfoy for his actions during the nineteen ninety-six and ninety-seven school year that culminated in that standoff in the Astronomy Tower?”
“Yes.”
Harry’s simple answer obviously pissed off many of the assembled witches and wizards but he privately believed that if they didn’t think Dumbledore would forgive Malfoy, they didn’t know him in the least.
“Moving on from the Siege of Hogwarts,” Grimsby continued when there was quiet again. “Would you please recount for the court the events of the twenty-eighth of March this year?”
The activities of Harry, Ron and Hermione during the war were still largely a mystery to the wizarding world at large and it was a testament to how curious the public was that you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom despite their earlier dissent. Harry took a deep breath and began his tale.
“Myself, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were on an assignment for the Order of the Phoenix when we carelessly broke the Taboo and were captured by snatchers. They didn’t recognize me at first but they recognized Hermione from her wanted poster and knew that she was meant to be travelling with me so they took us all to their headquarters for questioning just to be sure.”
“And where were they headquartered?” Grimsby asked.
“Malfoy Manor.”
Murmurs broke out but settled quickly.
“Continue,” Grimsby instructed.
“There were a few Death Eaters there but no was was sure it was me and they didn’t want to call Voldemort if it wasn’t because they were all afraid of wasting his time.”
“Sorry to interrupt, Mr Potter,” the Ministry barrister interjected. “But why is it that no one could recognize you. I mean you are the most recognized wizard in Britain.”
“When we realized we were about to be caught, Hermione had hexed me with a stinging jinx. It made my face swell up so I didn’t really look like myself, even my friend Dean Thomas who'd also been caught by the same snatchers didn't recognize me at first and we shared a dormitory for six years.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Apologies again for the interruption, please continue.”
“So anyway, Bellatrix Lestrange got the idea that if anyone would recognize me in that state it would be Draco. We’d gone to school together since we were eleven, he knew what I looked like no matter what shape my face was in.”
“And did he recognize you?” Grimsby asked.
“He did,” Harry confirmed. “When he looked into my eyes I knew he did. I thought for sure we were done for but he told the others he had no idea who I was.”
“Why do you think he did that?”
“I think he didn’t want to see me killed.”
“And you escaped because of his action?”
“Yes, I was able to steal his wand off him and escape with the rest of the prisoners in his house.”
“Do you believe Mr Malfoy ought to be pardoned because of these actions?” Grimsby prompted.
Harry looked down from his seat at Malfoy who was still staring at Harry like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
“I believe that none of the crimes Malfoy committed between the summer before his sixth year up until the end of the Battle of Hogwarts were his own,” he said evenly, maintaining eye contact with Malfoy. “So in my opinion, he’s not done anything that requires pardoning.”
A massive explosion of dissent answered this statement. To Harry’s ears it didn’t sound as though he’d convinced the court. Kingsley had more trouble silencing the Wizengamot than previously and it took several minutes before Grimsby could continue his questions.
“So then do you believe that Mr Malfoy is not responsible for his crimes by reason of coercion?"
“Yes,” he answered and had to wait for Kingsley to control the court again before he could elaborate. He turned to address the Wizengamot directly. “I believe that he should be given an opportunity to prove that he’s not this terrible person everyone thinks he is. He was only sixteen when he was recruited. We were all child soldiers. I did things I’m not proud of to win the war but no one is putting me on trial. Everyone decided that since I defeated Voldemort, everything I did to get there doesn’t matter, well how’s this: If Malfoy had given me up that day, I wouldn’t have lived to do that. He’s as much responsible for Voldemort’s defeat as I am.”
Complete silence followed Harry’s declaration. The whole Wizengamot stared with wide-eyed astonishment.
Grimsby seemed satisfied with his statement and thanked him for his time. The Ministry barrister had no questions for Harry and Kingsley declared a recess for deliberation.
All the witnesses, gallery, barristers, and Malfoy were removed from the courtroom while the Wizengamot discussed Malfoy’s fate.
Katie found Harry pacing the corridor outside the courtroom.
“Hey, Harry,” she said softly. “Long time no see.”
“Katie,” he greeted her with a resigned sigh and ceased his pacing. “I’m sorry for not supporting you in there.”
“No it’s fine,” she assured him. “You’re doing what you think is right, like always. You’ve even got me convinced Malfoy deserves a second chance.”
“Really?” he asked earnestly. “You’re not angry with me?”
“Of course not!” she exclaimed. “Why would I be angry at you for doing the right thing?”
“Ron’s been furious,” he explained. “And my argument didn’t seem very popular with the court.”
“Well as one of his victims, I’m willing to give him a chance,” she said firmly. “Not everyone is going to agree but I think you made a very compelling argument.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
“Mr Potter?” Narcissa Malfoy cut in hesitantly.
Katie gave Harry a quick wave and edged away so they could talk.
“Mrs Malfoy,” he greeted her cordially.
“I just wanted to thank you again,” she said sincerely. “Whatever the outcome, I know you tried your hardest.”
“It’s not decided yet,” he reminded her, trying to sound more hopeful than he felt. “Katie Bell just told me that I convinced her and she almost died so…”
“So there’s hope,” she sighed, looking around to where Katie had wandered off to.
Finally, more than two hours later they were all summoned back into the courtroom and once they were all seated in the gallery section, Draco was led in by a side door by a pair of aurors and placed in the seat in the middle where the chains sprang to life and locked him into the chair.
“The decision of the Wizengamot has been made by committee,” Kingsley began. “There was much debate over whether or not the actions of Draco Malfoy were his own. We will begin with the first charge of the murder of Albus Dumbledore. The Wizengamot has found the defendant not guilty of that charge.”
Harry let out a small sigh of relief and heard Narcissa do the same behind him.
“On the matter of the remaining charges of conspiracy to commit murder, the use of unforgivable curses, association with known terrorists, and the orchestration of the Siege of Hogwarts by way of a Vanishing Cabinet, it is indisputable that Mr Malfoy did in fact commit these crimes. However with the evidence that these actions were done under duress and with a retraction of testimony by Miss Katherine Bell–”
The gallery gasped at this news and Harry spun his head around to look at Katie who gave him a sheepish smile in return.
“Order!” Kingsley called and they hushed. “With the retraction of testimony by Miss Katherine Bell,” he continued. “And that of Professor Horace Slughorn by reason of being convinced by Mr Potter’s testimony, the court finds reason for lenience with Mr Malfoy.
“For the reason of his age and the matter of his coercion, the Wizengamot grants Mr Malfoy one year parole in lieu of prison time. At the end of that year there will be a hearing to determine if the charges will be dropped in full.
“Mr Malfoy, you are ordered by the court to attend Hogwarts for the supplemental eighth year for qualified students under the supervision of Headmistress McGonagall, until then you are sentenced to house arrest at Malfoy Manor. For the next year, your movements will be monitored and a Trace will be placed upon you. The complete details of your parole will be given to you at the parole office with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
“The court wishes you luck on your journey to redemption.”
With that, Kingsley banged his gavel and dismissed the court.
The chains binding Malfoy to his chair sprang open but he continued to sit there in astonishment. Narcissa Malfoy let out a sob of relief and hugged Harry from behind.
“Thank you so much,” she cried. “This would not have happened without you.”
Then she released him to rush down to the courtroom floor to smother her son in hugs and kisses.
Harry decided to give them a moment and waited until after the courtroom had cleared out. He’d meant to talk to Malfoy in private to give him back his wand but missed his chance as Grimsby ushered them out of the room while the court was still clearing out.
He decided to wait for him outside the parole offices since he knew that had to be his next step.
It turned out to be an awkward place to wait as he found himself surrounded by reporters and photographers. They all had about a thousand questions but he ignored them all and tuned them out, keeping his eyes fixed on the doors through which Malfoy would soon walk, a more or less free man.
When he did, he immediately balked as the reporters and photographers turned their attention on him. The news would undoubtedly be full of outrage that he’d weaselled out of trouble the way Malfoys were wont to do. Wizarding Britain wouldn’t be inclined to give him the second chance Harry knew he deserved. He considered if he had any power to do something about this.
Taking a deep breath, he set aside all of his past feelings towards Malfoy, all the animosity, the bullying, the duels in school corridors. He decided to put it all in the past and draw a line under it. From this day forward, whatever Malfoy did next was all that mattered.
So, in front of a dozen reporters and a half dozen photographers, Harry marched forward and put out his hand to Malfoy.
“Congratulations, Draco,” he said sincerely. “I know you’ll make the most of this chance.”