"You don't have to do this, Harry."
Harry's shoulders tensed as he glanced over the letter again.
Harry,
The trials are wrapping up. Sentencing begins tomorrow. You'll be relieved to know that the ringleaders will be spending the rest of their lives with Dementors of Azkaban. This dark time is almost completely behind us. I would like to invite you to be present. The trial is in a secure location – let me know if you choose to come. I will arrange a Portkey.
Kingsley
They were in an empty house near the Burrow, standing over the single spoon which lay on the floor in an otherwise empty room. It was glowing faintly.
"What good will it do?"
Harry knelt by the spoon. "I don't know. It just seems like the right thing to do."
Ginny's fingers laced through his. He glanced up. "What, are you planning on coming along?"
Her eyes narrowed. "If you even think for a second I would let you go to a courtroom full of Death Eaters without me…"
"I've managed before."
"You died before."
Her fiery brown eyes and white-knuckled grip dared him to try. He smiled and sighed. "Let's do this."
The day settled into a rhythm. The convicted war criminals were called one at a time. Some begged. Some cried. Some sat still, cold eyes dark with hatred.
After the sentencing, Kingsley shook Harry's hand. "It's nice to have closure."
Ginny crossed her arms. "They got better than they deserve. They get to live."
Harry frowned. "With the Dementors? That's hardly living, Gin."
Kingsley smiled. "You'll be a great Auror, Harry. You value life – even in those who don't value yours." He laid a hand on their shoulders. "Don't dwell on this. Remember the dark times, yes. But get closure. Live in the light."
Ginny smiled. "I like that." She raised Harry's hand to her lips, brushing a quick kiss on his knuckles.
Harry smiled. "Let's go home."
Ginny's eyes lingered on Harry's hand, tracing the faded scars of letters.
"Not yet."
Harry followed Ginny into the dark row of holding cells.
"Gin, this is…"
"Shut up, Harry."
Dolores Umbridge looked up with a sickly sweet smile as they stopped at her cell. "Coming to brag, Potter?"
Ginny beamed. "Hardly." She pulled a roll of parchment from her handbag. "It just occurred to me that you're going away for a very long time. Here's a little keepsake I stole from your old office – just for memory's sake."
"You little harlot," she spat, "How dare you! I was Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister! I have connections…"
"Ready, Harry?" Ginny turned and walked away as Umbridge unrolled the parchment, revealing Harry's face over the words "Undesirable Number One." She crumpled the parchment.
"Someday, Potter, I'll get what's coming to me. This isn't the end."
Harry smiled sadly at her. "For your sake… I hope you are wrong."
With that, Harry walked out of the darkened cell block and into the light of the summer's afternoon.
