I strode into the courtroom with my head held high. I crossed the chamber and sat gracefully in the chair that sat in the exact center of the room so the eyes of every single person within fixed on me, the occupier. As I settled into the chair, the chains on my arms clanked menacingly but made no move to bind me to the chair. Slowly my gray eyes moved up to lock eyes with the newly elected Minister of Magic.
"Delilah Karen Stark," he began, authority dripping from every syllable. "You have been summoned here to answer for the crimes you have committed during the recent Wizarding war."
"Is this really necessary, Kingsly?!" Narcissa Malfoy screamed from the front row of the public seating.
I turned my gaze towards her, and bade her with my eyes to say nothing further. Turning my expressionless gaze back to Kingsly, I said in a cold, almost bored tone, "Charges, if you please, Minister."
"The charges are," Kingsly continued, lowering his eyes to a piece of parchment before him, "conspiring to kill Albus Dumbledore, willful use of the Unforgivable Curses, and pledging services to Voldemort." The members of the council, including the general public began to whisper following the charges. Kingsly raised a hand to silence them. "Miss Stark, do you understand the charges as they have been presented against you?"
Still staring Kingsly directly into the eyes, I scoffed. "Oh believe me, Minister, I understand perfectly the way the charges have been made against me. What I don't understand is how that is enough to condemn me."
"Would you care to explain?" Kingsly prompted.
"Well," I began, "I know in your eyes, I have tried to murder Professor Dumbledore, cursed and controlled people in my own mind, and associated with Lord Voldemort, and simply because of that you believe I have an evil soul. Is that correct?"
"That is our way of thinking," he said shortly.
My cold gaze faltered for a moment. I shook my head sadly. "Then you may be wrong. You think you know everything...but you have no idea, do you?" I told him in a soft voice. "Some of you have fought against the Dark Lord, some of you have fought to regain control of the Ministry of Magic, and some think you've won by hiding and avoiding it all. You think that's enough to know how horrible this war was, and you think it's enough to take revenge on those you see as the enemy. Let me be the first to tell you that you know nothing of the true evils behind this war! If you knew half of what I went through to protect those I love, how everything I did was to protect them... maybe you wouldn't be so quick to judge who is evil and who is not."
For a minute, the courtroom was so silent that even a pin wouldn't dare drop. Finally Kingsly spoke, "And would you perhaps feel inclined, Miss Stark, to share with us your story so that we may better judge you?"
"Very well," I agreed. "In order for you to truly understand, I will have to tell you my story from the day I set foot on the Hogwarts train..."
So I guess you're wondering: What am I doing here? Well for that I'll have to tell you a much different version as I am about to tell Kingsly here. Believe it or not, I was not always like this. In fact I was the exact opposite of this, but then again I guess the entire Ministry of Magic expected this day to come considering my family heritage, along with the fact that I'm a younger version of my aunt. I will take you back to the beginning and come to the end. I sometimes reminisce at times like these the happier days before everything changed.
In fact, it's funny how things change over time, isn't it? One day might be ordinary, then the next thing you know, you're beginning the greatest adventure you'll ever have. And it's funny how people can change in the blink of an eye. You might think you know someone one minute, then the next, they're behaving like a complete stranger. Your best friend becomes your enemy, you end up fighting a war against someone you once called brother, people you've known your whole life are taken away from you before your very eyes, and everything starts changing so fast from what you once knew. Now, I'm just getting ahead of myself. I should probably introduce myself right about now, but not just yet.
People change too as they grow up, so much that you might not be able to recognize them. Not because of how they've changed in appearance, but how they've changed in personality. I changed while I was in Hogwarts, that's for certain.
Everyone thought of me as a legend, just as they do Harry Potter. Wizards and witches used to glance at me from the corner of their eye, and start whispering about the girl who was helping to take down the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Of course, I'm one of the very few who actually says his name instead of calling him You-Know-Who
I wasn't a fearless leader, unafraid of death. No, I was terrified, but I guess that's what bravery is. Bravery isn't marching into battle, unafraid. Bravery is being scared to death yet saddling up anyway. Bravery is being willing to give up everything to save the ones you love, even if it means sacrificing yourself. That's what bravery is in my opinion, but others have different views on the subject.
My family all chose to join Voldemort on his quest, but I had my own choice, and I really could have gone down either path. I was lucky enough to have friends who helped me to see the light. Others were not so lucky. My parents both thought I would take the path they took, let their battle become mine, like Draco did. After all, we always take up the fight of our parents. Carry the torch they once lit. Now, this is how my story began, and as we progress, you'll find out how I ended up here.

Lucius Malfoy paced anxiously, unable to help himself in these conditions. The screams of his wife could be heard from behind the door. His sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange sat in a chair nearby, nervously biting her nails, a habit she used to do as a little girl that she never did again until this moment. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then stood up and stopped Lucius's frequent pacing. As much as she detested him, she had to be the calm, mature one right now, and be there for him, more for her sister's sake than his.
"Malfoy, now you listen here," she sighed, gripping the shoulders of the terrified man, "Cissy is going to be just fine. I promise you that, Lucius." The use of his first name captured his attention and he nodded mutely.
An aged healer from St. Mungo's popped her head out the door. "Lucius? Lucius Malfoy?" she called softly. Lucius instantly whirled around, standing at attention.
Bellatrix did the same. "Yes, that's me. Was the—you know—is she—?" he stammered. The healer smiled fondly at the eager man.
"Don't worry, both your wife and your babies are absolutely healthy. You're the new father of a little boy and a girl." Bellatrix squeezed Lucius's shoulder in relief, and she could feel the tension leave his body. Lucius may have been a man of few words and showed barely any emotion, but she knew just by the smallest gestures how he was feeling. "You are both more than welcome to see them."
Bellatrix didn't even give her a chance to finish before running in. Lucius followed, giving a small nod to the healer.
Narcissa laid there in the bed, a painful yet cheerful smile on her face, holding two small children wrapped in blankets. She was so exhausted from the labor that the children in her arms were the only things keeping her awake as her eyelids grew heavy.
Bellatrix was the first there, and gently picked up the baby girl, cradling her in her arms as if worried she might fall apart at her touch. A laugh escaped her lips as the child's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, taking in all her surroundings, while the her brother slept soundly in his mother's arms.
Lucius sat down on the bed next to his wife. "I have a daughter, don't I?" he asked softly.
"And a son." Narcissa gave a weak smile, and showed the boy sleeping. "Meet Draco Malfoy and Delilah Isabella Malfoy."
"I like the name. It suits them," Bellatrix said. She could already imagine the twins all grown up. Delilah, the rebellious, stubborn daughter, and Draco, the obedient son who never questioned what his parents had to say. She could see Delilah was adorable, watching her lips form a small pout, her wide gray eyes shining, and a lock of brown hair fall onto her face.
At the same time, Bellatrix grasped a curl of her own brown hair. "Takes after me, I see. She's got your eyes though, Lucius."
He smiled as he took his son into his own arms. It would be his last smile for a while. He rested his hand on Narcissa's arm. "You should rest," he suggested.
Narcissa opened her mouth to protest, but Bellatrix cut her off. "He's right, Cissy," she insisted. "You've been through a lot tonight. You deserve a rest. We'll take care of them until you wake up."
Narcissa nodded, too tired to argue anymore, her eyelids closing.
"You know," she smiled, "you and Cissy are going to have your hands full with these two."
"And will you be around to help?" Lucius asked.
"Of course," shrugged Bella. "After all, someone's got to protect my niece, and show her the ropes."
"You're actually not as bad as I thought you would be."
"Thank you?" she replied uncertainly. "I think the same of you."
The two finally connected for that one moment. And for that moment, everything was perfect. And then that moment ended.
An hour later, Lucius had already dozed off, but Bellatrix had woken up to see someone in the doorway. It was a tall, cloaked figure that she had only seen few times. She instantly drew her wand, pointing it at the mysterious person.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a hostile tone. The figure did not answer, but she noticed he had looked at the girl resting in her arms, the girl she had already grown attached to. She shielded Delilah, holding her wand so tight, her knuckles turned white. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me first."
It was like she finally noticed why it was so quiet in St. Mungo's was so quiet tonight. "You're smart, I'll give you that. Probably put a sleeping spell on everyone in here, so they won't hear what you're planning to do."
The figure still did not answer. Bellatrix shouted a curse, but the stranger simply blocked it. With a wave of his hand, Bellatrix was sent backwards into the wall behind her, nearly knocking her out. Her wand now out of arms reach, she held Delilah tightly. She would die for her.
The figure came close, and finally spoke in an all too familiar voice. "You shall not die tonight, Bellatrix Lestrange. A much worse fate awaits you."
Another wave of his hand, and Delilah appeared in his arms, the effects of the spell still rendering her fast asleep. He disappeared into the night, followed by the sound of anguished cries.
He was right about her having a fate worse than death. She had to live with the guilt of the disappearance of her niece, and her sister could never look at her again. A year later, when Voldemort was said to have disappeared, Bellatrix was found, and sentenced to Azkaban. Throughout the years that followed, she never stopped looking for Delilah.
That was the one thing that kept her sane. The memories and the guilt of her that remained in her mind. She kept a small locket with a picture inside of the tiny child, giggling in glee.
Every night, after the dementors made their daily rounds, she might search for it on the floor, take it out, staring at it for as long as she could. "I promise you, Lilah," she'd whispered each time. "I will find you."

(Author's note: I know this isn't how the story goes, but it's a fanfic that I put a little twist on. It took tons of Draco fanfics to convince me that Draco is not entirely a bad guy, so in my little fantasy world, his family isn't entirely bad either. That last bit I put in was something I just thought of at the last moment. It gives me ideas of year 3, and I really need to know when to make an author's note not a paragraph. I know it's probably not as good but I'm just starting so cut me some slack.)