A/N: I don't have much to say about this. Summary says it all. I just feel like I needed an introduction. Use flippendo on the switch, and I'll meet you at the end. Oh, wait, I'm not Quirrell from the Sorcerer's Stone Computer Game...
Harry Potter looked over the heads from his seat in the Wizengamot chamber. He sat between Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minster of Magic, and Mr. Weasley. The last time he had been in this chamber, he had been 15. It was now only 3 years later, but it felt like a lifetime. So much had happened in such a short time.
"Who's next?" Harry sighed. Arthur shuffled his papers.
"Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange," he replied.
"Do they even need a trial?" Harry said. "Guilty as charged."
"They did not participate in the Battle for Hogwarts," Kingsley said.
"They tortured my parents," Neville piped up from directly behind them. "I'm with Harry. Guilty as charged." All members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army that survived were invited to sit at the trials for the Death Eaters.
"Is that it for the day?" Harry said. He had grown tired of all these trials.
"Just one more," Kingsley said, as Rodolphus and Rabastan were taken away from the courtroom, still pledging their allegiances to the now-deceased Dark Lord.
A tall skinny blond boy, no more than 18 himself, was escorted into the courtroom. He sat down in the single chair. He shot nervous looks around the room as the chains on the chair sprung to life and imprisoned him.
"Malfoy?" Harry asked, bewildered. "He looks like hell." In truth, his normally flawless hair was a wreck, and his clothes were in shambles. "Has he been in Azkaban since the war?"
"No," said Mr. Weasley. "He has been quite cooperative with the new Ministry, in fact, except one detail."
"Draco Malfoy." Kingsley's voice rang out over the courtroom.
"Yes, sir," Draco's voice was timid and rather unlike his normal haughty swaggerous tone.
"You are charged with being a Death Eater, a supporter of Voldemort, and with concealing the location of other known Death Eaters," Kingsley read. "Namely, your father, Lucius Malfoy."
"I don't know where he is!" Draco insisted. "He left the country after the battle! I haven't heard from him, I don't know what he's doing, I don't know anything!"
"Do you swear to that?" Kingsley said, surveying him carefully.
"Yes," Draco said. Harry watched from the seat beside Kingsley. He couldn't believe Draco Malfoy was on trial for being a Death Eater. Draco and his mother had saved him many times during the battle.
"Do you deny that you were, in fact, a Death Eater?" Kingsley asked.
"Well, I–" Draco began.
"This is ridiculous," Harry interrupted, standing so that he may be heard. "Draco Malfoy is no more a Death Eater than I am. I will personally vouch for him." Draco was stunned. He looked up from where he had been staring (his shoes) to Harry, whom he hadn't viewed properly in ages. Kingsley viewed Harry for a moment before continuing.
"All in favor of trusting Mr. Potter's judgment?" Kingsley asked. Every hand in the courtroom went up. "Cleared of all charges, on the merits of Mr. Potter. Court adjourned." All the members of the Wizengamot, as well as the many other wizards filed out. Draco Malfoy was still sitting, shell shocked, in the chair, though the chains had relinquished their hold on him. Harry was the last one to descend from the seats lining the walls.
"Are you just going to sit there?" he asked Malfoy.
"No, of course not, I–" Malfoy began. Harry waved him into silence.
"We could never have won without you and your mother's help. So thanks," Harry said, sticking out his hand for Malfoy to shake. Malfoy eyed it warily before taking it. Harry pulled Malfoy to his feet and walked with him out of the courtroom.
"Thank you," Malfoy finally mumbled as they reached the top of the stairs in the Lobby.
"They didn't have a case against you," Harry said. "The only thing they've got is that hideous tattoo." Malfoy cringed slightly at the thought of the permanent brand he'd allowed himself to be subjected to – that had made his parents (and especially his aunt Bellatrix) so proud at the time. "I have my own fair share of marks," Harry said, reading the look on Malfoy's face.
"It's fading," Malfoy finally said. "Every day it gets lighter. In a year or so, it'll be completely gone."
"Here," Harry said, handing Malfoy an envelope. "It's your entire file. I thought you might like to read it." Draco pulled out the first page and read.
Name: Draco Malfoy
Heritage: Lucius Malfoy (father), Narcissa Black Malfoy (mother)
Birthdate: June 5, 1980
Siblings: None
Childhood: Affluent
Home: Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire
Appearance: Eyes, gray. Hair, white blond. Skin, pale.
Wand: Hawthorn and unicorn hair, 10 inches, reasonably springy
Broom: Nimbus 2001, current
Interests: Quidditch, Dark Arts, himself
Skills: flying, potions, Occlumency, faking injuries, finding where you hurt and rubbing salt in it, whining to Daddy
Other: Not a murderer
Draco almost laughed. "Who did they get to write this rubbish? Weasley?" Harry laughed as well.
"He helped. When Kingsley wouldn't allow 'selfish little git' or 'enormous prat' to be included anywhere in the file, he got rather annoyed and stormed out." They stood there in the London evening air.
"Why did you save me? You could have just thrown me to the dementors, and be done with me forever."
"Do I look like the type to let innocent people rot in jail?" Harry shot back. Draco shook his head. "I have something for you, unless you're too much of a prat to want it." He fished Draco's wand out of his pocket and presented him with it. "Hawthorn and unicorn hair, 10 inches, reasonably springy." Malfoy took it slowly, as if not believing it.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"Just as long as you don't try to hex me too badly," Harry laughed. "Come on, lighten up. It's a great night." Malfoy looked around and had to agree. "Where have you been staying? I know Malfoy Manor is in shambles." Draco shrugged.
"My room's alright," he mumbled. Harry was shocked.
"You look like you've been through hell and back," Harry said. "Why don't you come to mine, and I'll get you fixed up, and then we'll see about fixing your house."
"It's alright," Draco said, quietly. "You don't have to."
"No, I do," Harry said.
"The chains on that chair only come to life if you're guilty. I'm guilty," Malfoy said, suddenly. "It's my fault."
"If you hadn't gone along with him, he would have gotten someone else to do it," Harry said. "None of what happened is–"
"Yes it is!" he insisted. Harry sighed.
"Dumbledore told me – well, he told me the other week, his portrait, you know, at Hogwarts – he told me that Death Eaters – like your family, Bellatrix, in particular – are incapable of loving. Tell me, Draco," Harry said. Draco instantly looked up at the mention of his first name. "Tell me. Can you love?"
"I…I…" Draco thought, and couldn't remember ever loving anything. "I had a ferret when I was a kid. I killed it, though, after that tosser turned me into one."
"Alright," Harry said. "There is a true test. You have your wand now. Can you produce a Patronus?"
"A Patronus?" Draco asked, as if he'd never thought of doing such.
"Yeah," Harry said. The streets were deserted, but he cast a disillusionment charm around them for safety before muttering "expecto patronum". A silvery white stag erupted from his wand, danced around them, and then disappeared into the night. "You have to think of something happy, remember."
"Expecto…patronum," Draco said, softly. His face flushed bright pink when a ferret erupted from his wand, and instantly vanished.
"You're a good person, Malfoy," Harry said. "I know it. Shall we?" Draco nodded, and Harry grabbed his arm, and they Disapparated.
A/N: This story is awful. I can't believe I'm letting people read it. Oh well. Leave me reviews, pl0x?
Love, Samantha/samlover14/ LilyLuna