Summary: When news of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter's relationship comes out, Draco is arrested for bewitching the Savior. Angry, Harry prepares the best of defenses for his lover. Can Harry and his friends save Draco? Or is it too late?
The Trial
For the first time in his nearly twenty two years of life, Harry Potter was speechless. He'd been fine half an hour ago, wrapped around his boyfriend on the couch of the apartment they'd just moved in to. They'd been watching a movie on Harry's muggle television and talking quietly when the Aurors had barged in and arrested Draco. Yes, Draco as in Malfoy. He and Harry had been together – secretly of course – for over a year. They'd only recently let the knowledge of their relationship become public knowledge, however, because they'd been afraid of something exactly like this happening. Draco had been arrested on charges of bewitching. They thought he'd bewitched Harry into loving him. Ridiculous, of course, but they didn't care about that. All they cared about was that Draco was a former Death Eater.
Harry threw Floo powder into the fire and Flooed over to Ron and Hermione's flat. The two were sitting in front of the fire, Hermione reading a book and Ron lying across her lap. They looked up, surprised, as Harry stepped out of the fire. Harry didn't blame them, it was almost midnight after all.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Ron asked, sitting up.
"They've arrested him. Draco, I mean. The most ridiculous charges."
"What'd he do?" Hermione asked, setting her book aside.
"Apparently he's used dark magic to bewitch me into loving him."
"What? That's bloody ridiculous! Draco's pants at Dark magic." Ron said, rolling his eyes.
"We know that, Ron. The Aurors don't." Hermione said patiently.
"I have to get him out of there guys. Draco can't be in Azkaban. He'll die."
Ron nodded. "Harry's right. Draco'll go mad in Azkaban."
It was always surprising to Harry when he heard Ron call Draco by his first name. When he and Draco had first told Ron and Hermione about their relationship, Ron had thought Harry had finally lost his marbles. It was only after Hermione had checked for curses and potions that Ron had believed that Harry was in his right mind. It had taken a little over two months for Draco and Ron to get along but now they were like brothers. Ron had even protected Draco from his family when they'd told the Weasley's. (That was no longer a problem, the Weasley's loved Draco now.)
"What am I gonna do? They think I'm bewitched, guys. They'll not let him out on account of my say so."
"Calm down mate. Let's go to the Burrow and talk to the family. They'll know what the next step is."
"O…okay."
They apparated to the Burrow together, Ron taking Harry by side-along so that Harry didn't splinch himself in his distress. When they got there, they found most of the Weasley's still sitting on the couches in the living room. Molly was knitting, Arthur playing with a rubber duck, Ginny reading, the twins were talking, Bill was doing some kind of paperwork, and Percy was reading as well. As they entered, Molly took one look at Harry's face and leapt to her feet.
"What's happened?" She asked.
"Draco's in Azkaban. They think he's bewitched me." Was all Harry could think of to say.
"What? That's ridiculous. Draco would never do something like that." Ginny said, looking affronted.
"I know that. I…guys I dunno what to do."
Percy looked up. "You have to calm yourself first. And sit down before you fall down."
Harry sank into a seat and calmed his breathing. When he was calm, Percy spoke again.
"Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas own a law office. They're the best in business. You should hire them to represent Draco. They trust your word and they'll defend him to the best of their abilities. In the meantime, I'll take Bill and go visit Draco. Make sure he's all right."
Hermione nodded. "Percy's right. I want you and the twins to go to Dean's apartment. He and Seamus should be there tonight. They usually are. Tell them what's happened and ask for their help. I'll go with Percy and Bill to make sure Draco's okay."
Ginny stood. "I'm going to get a hold of Blaise. He'll be able to lend support as well.Draco is his best friend, after all."
Harry nodded and got to his feet. "This is a nightmare." He said and Ginny hugged him tightly.
"We'll save him Harry. He won't spend too long in that horrible place. I promise." She said.
"I need to speak with Narcissa. She'll want to know what's happened as well." Molly said, moving to find her travel cloak.
Over the last year, the rift between the Malfoy and Weasley families had been lifted. They'd spent hours talking one day and, thankfully, had come out with a new understanding of each other. Narcissa and Molly were close friends now who regularly shared recipes and other such things. Lucius and Arthur were friends as well, sharing interests in Quidditch, muggle technology, and many other subjects. It was nice to see the two families finally getting along again after so many years of fighting.
"Let her know I'll be over there as soon as I can manage it. And that I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened…" Harry said dejectedly, resting his head in his hands.
Molly frowned. "Why don't we all meet at the Malfoy Manor? I'm certain Cissa will want to discuss the case with us and that way, we can share our support."
"Good idea Molly. I'll come along with you then. Someone will need to keep Lucius calm." Arthur said, getting to his feet as well.
"Hurry and get to Seamus' place. They should have just gotten off work." Ron said. "I'll head over to Neville and Luna's place. They've become rather fond of Draco as well and can be used as witnesses in the trial."
Ginny stood. "I'm going to gather Blaise and head to Malfoy Manor. We'll meet you all there."
"All right. Thanks Gin." Harry said as she headed to the Floo to Floo over to her boyfriend's manor.
Fred and George stood alongside Harry. "We'll go with you to Seamus' place. He and Dean are always in the shop and, providing they don't believe you, they'll believe us."
"All right. Let's go then."
Ron and Hermione gave Harry hugs.
"Thank you all. So much. You have no idea how much this means to us." Harry said.
"Nonsense dear. You and Draco are family. We protect our own." Molly said, kissing his cheek.
Harry smiled at her before turning to the twins. They grabbed his arms, Apparating by side-along again just in case. Harry had been to Seamus' place quite a few times in the past. He hosted many parties throughout the year and Harry was always invited. When they got there, Dean and Seamus were just walking up the driveway, taking quietly about a case. Seeing Harry's face, Seamus rushed over and asked, "Harry? What's happened?"
"I know you guys just got off work but…I need your help. Immediately."
"What's happened?" Dean asked, resting a hand on the small of Seamus' back.
Fred explained what had happened, keeping a hand on Harry's arm to keep him upright. As he spoke, Seamus and Dean's eyes widened considerably at the news of Harry and Draco's relationship. Apparently they hadn't heard the news yet.
"If you trust him, so do we. We'll take the case Pro Bono. We owe Harry one anyways, he helped us out with that last case quite a bit." Seamus said.
"Where is everyone gathering? You said everyone was getting together." Dean asked, picking up his briefcase again.
"Malfoy Manor. Molly and Arthur went to tell Lucius and Narcissa."
"All right, come on then. Let's get there and get everything settled."
Fred and George, noticing that Harry was calmer now, let him apparate on his own this time. They raised their arms, passing through the gate easily and half-ran up the driveway. Narcissa met them half-way, tears staining her cheeks. The second she saw him, she pulled Harry into a bone-crushing hug. Harry hugged her back, mumbling apologies into her shoulder.
"Don't apologize Harry. This isn't your fault. We'll get him out of there. Now come inside you guys. We've got a lot to talk about."
Seamus nodded. "Thank you Mrs. Malfoy."
"It is me who should be thanking you. You're representing my son."
"If Harry says Draco is innocent ma'am, Draco's innocent. And, as defense lawyers, we're supposed to keep innocent people out of jail." Dean said, smiling softly at Narcissa.
"Still, there aren't many people who would have defended him, even with Harry's word."
Seamus grinned and said, "Draco may have been a prat in school but he's proven that he's not a bad bloke. He's helped us out with a few of our cases and Harry's in love with him. We'll do whatever we can to get him cleared of all charges."
Narcissa smiled as they walked into the manor. "Well thank you."
"You're welcome Mrs. Malfoy."
"None of that now. Call me Narcissa. Mrs. Malfoy is my mother-in-law."
They entered the sitting room where quite a few people had gathered. Blaise, Pansy, Daphne, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur, and Lucius sat together. As he walked in, Blaise and Pansy stood and walked over to him. Hugging him tightly, Pansy and Blaise both whispered apologies before leading him to a seat.
"What happened?" Neville asked.
Harry sighed. "Draco and I were watching a movie – he's become enamored with the muggle telly – and Aurors busted the door open. They didn't even knock! They pointed their wands at us and started to arrest Draco. I…he was screaming. Begging me to help him and I tried but they wouldn't listen to me. Said I was bewitched and begged me to go to St. Mungo's. They dragged him from our flat, screaming and crying. I've never seen Draco cry like that. Ever."
"My God." Ron whispered, imagining how horrible that must've been for both Harry and Draco.
"Why would they think he bewitched you? I don't understand. You only recently became public." Luna asked, squeezing Neville's hand.
"I dunno Luna. That's what I want to know. We were…he's not…Draco couldn't have bewitched me. For one, he's pants at Dark Arts…and for another he loves me. I know he does."
Narcissa nodded. "Draco hates even the idea of bewitching someone. He was bewitched during the war...he understands what it means to bewitch someone and he'd never do it."
"Draco was bewitched during the war?" Ron asked, having not heard the story.
Harry nodded. "By Voldemort himself. He was put under the Imperious curse...forced to torture muggleborns because he wouldn't do it on his own."
"That helps our case out a lot." Seamus said, sharing a look with Dean."
"Has anyone gone to see him in Azkaban?" Dean asked.
"Percy, Bill, and Hermione went to check on him. They won't let me in."
"Good. We'll wait on them to see his state of mind."
"He's probably losing his mind right now. Draco's terrified of Azkaban. It's his second greatest fear...after snakes."
Harry felt like his heart was breaking. Things had been going so well for them and now this...this had ruined everything. Draco was everything to him. Draco and their family meant the entire universe to Harry and someone had willingly hurt Draco. Rage bubbled up in his chest, pouring over as he sat next to Ron.
"Someone did this. Someone willingly hurt Draco and I want to know who it was." Harry spat, venom in his voice.
Ron nodded. "We all do, mate. Draco didn't deserve this."
Seamus looked at them. "Is there someone with a grudge against him? A past lover maybe...or someone from the war?"
"Astoria Greengrass. They had a betrothal contract before Lucius broke it off after the war. She...she hates Draco for leaving her for Harry. If anyone did this, it's her." Narcissa said, looking over at Harry.
"She's right. Astoria sent a few threatening letters. I have them at home. She's taunted him in public a few times. We...we were ignoring it..." Harry said, voice trailing off as he realized who had probably done this.
"All right. We'll send our investigator over to speak with her in the morning. In the meantime, we need to find a way to counteract what the media is going to be saying about Draco."
Luna gave them a smile. "Since my dad died last year, I'm the owner of the Quibbler. I would be more than happy to interview Harry."
"Not Harry." Seamus said, "I think we should keep Harry out of the media. It should be someone else. Neville?"
"Of course I will." Neville agreed.
"We need to get with someone from the Prophet as well." Dean said, looking around at them.
Fred looked around. "Parvati Patil writes for the Prophet. I'm sure she'd love to interview Ron."
Ron looked confused. "Why me?"
Fred shot him a look. "Because the rivalry between our families is legendary. If you publicly support him, a lot of people will believe in him."
"Bloody hell you're brilliant."
"All right. I'll contact Ms. Patil in the morning and ask her if she'll interview Ron on behalf of the Weasley family." Narcissa said, smiling gently at them.
"Harry, I want you to go to St. Mungo's. Have them test you for everything possible. That way we can prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Draco is innocent."
"Now?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. If we wait any longer, they could say it wore off and you just don't want to admit it."
"All right. I'll go now."
Harry stood and headed off to St. Mungos. While he didn't like the fact that this had to be done, he knew it was a necessity. He also knew that it would come up negative for any signs of bewitching. Draco would never bewitch him. Not in a million years. Arriving at St. Mungo's, Harry went up to the desk and told them what he needed done. They led him to a small room and, a few moments later, a Healer walked in. The Healer carried three potions and his wand was stowed in his pocket.
"Hello Mr. Potter. Can I ask why you need this done? It's a strange request."
"The Ministry has declared that my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, has bewitched me into loving him. I want to prove that I'm not bewitched."
"I'm more than happy to do that for you. I'm going to have you drink this. It's a potion that will detect any dark magic that has been used on you in the last month."
"All right."
Harry drank the potion, which tasted like rotten eggs. A moment later he felt a tingling sensation and his body glowed gold. The Healer smiled and wrote something down.
"No Dark Magic has been used on you, Mr. Potter. Now drink this one. This one will detect any compulsion charms or anything of the sort."
This potion tasted of slightly moldy cherries. A moment later Harry once again felt a tingling sensation and glowed gold. The Healer smiled before writing someone down.
"No compulsion charms either. This last one will test for potions that would change your thought process and the like."
This potion tasted like shit. Utter shit. After drinking it, Harry felt the same tingling sensation before his body once more glowed gold. The Healer grinned widely before handing him the paper.
"This should be all the proof you need. If you do need more, here's my card. You should feel free to have your lawyers call on me at any time. Draco is a respected colleague of mine."
"Thank you Healer Hart."
"You're welcome Mr. Potter. Tell Draco he has St. Mungo's full support."
"I will. He's sitting in Azkaban at the moment. Hopefully we'll have him home soon."
"Azkaban?! That's...Gods...I hope things work out."
"Thank you. I should get home."
Harry gave Healer Hart one last smile before heading off to the Floo. Flooing back to the manor, he handed Seamus the paper Healer Hart had given him. Seamus gave him a brilliant grin before stowing the paper in his briefcase once more.
"Brilliant. Now we have proof that you've not been tampered with."
"Thank God. When's the soonest we can get Draco out? I can't sleep without him?"
Before Seamus could reply, Narcissa led Percy, Bill, and Hermione into the room.
"How is he?"
Hermione sighed as she sat down. "Pissed off and upset. Wants to go home. He told me to tell you he loves you, though, and that this doesn't change a damned thing."
"Thankfully they've taken the Dementors out of Azkaban. He's just really pissed off at one Astoria Greengrass. He's convinced she's behind this whole thing." Bill said.
"They're setting bail tomorrow morning." Percy said and Harry nodded.
"I'm paying his bail. He needs to be home."
"They've actually banned him from returning to the home you share. He can't be anywhere near you or he returns to Azkaban."
Harry saw red. "Really?! After all I've done for the wizarding world, this is how they repay me?!"
Bill nodded. "I understand. But we'll get this mess sorted out soon enough and he'll be home."
"We've already got all the proof we need to prove that Harry isn't being bewitched. He was checked out by a Healer already." Seamus stated, nodding at Bill.
"Good."
"All right everyone. Let's get some sleep. We've a lot to do tomorrow." Narcissa said.
"You're all welcome to stay here, of course." Lucius said, smiling gently.
Seamus stood up. "Dean and I are going to head to the office to get some paperwork done. We'll be by at nine tomorrow morning."
Dean stood beside Seamus. "Actually Shay, I think I'm gonna to to Azkaban to see our client. Get his side of everything."
"All right. Sounds good."
Harry stood and shook Seamus and Dean's hands. "Thanks guys. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"See you tomorrow morning."
The two lawyers walked to the door and waved cheerfully before leaving. Narcissa walked over to Harry and hugged him tightly.
"You're welcome to Draco's bedroom. He'd want you there. Go and get some rest, dear. I'll show the others to their own rooms."
"Thank you Narcissa." Harry said, blinking tiredly as he headed for the stairs.
Draco's rooms were large and, as he walked in, Harry smiled at the photograph Draco kept on his nightstand. It was of the two of them. Draco stood behind Harry, his arms around his waist and his head on Harry's shoulder. He stared at it for a long moment, eyes welling with tears, before climbing beneath the sheets. It took hours for Harry to fall asleep and, when he finally did, he slept until nearly ten the next morning.
The next morning, Harry headed downstairs. Everyone else was already gathered in the sitting room. Narcissa smiled at him as he walked in and handed him a cup of tea. Sitting down, Harry gave everyone a weak smile before accepting the copy of the Quibbler that Luna was trying to hand him.
Supporting Draco: An Interview With Neville Longbottom
By: Luna Lovegood
LL: Good morning Neville.
NL: Good morning Luna.
LL: You've requested this interview in light of Draco Malfoy's recent arrest, correct?
NL: Correct.
LL: Could you explain to our readers whose side you're on and why?
NL: Of course, Luna. I stand with both Harry and Draco in this matter. I've known the pair of them since school and, while Draco and I weren't exactly friends back then, he is a close friend these days.
LL: How long have he and Harry been together?
NL: A year. They only recently became public, however.
LL: One last question, does Draco have your full and unconditional support?
NL: He does. We're all here for you Dray. Don't worry, you'll be home with Harry as soon as we can manage it. I promise.
LL: Thank you for the interview Neville.
Harry set aside the magazine and smiled at his friends. The interview, while it had been short, was brilliant and Harry couldn't have asked for anything more. Neville had been brilliant. The man in question blushed when Harry said that, and Harry smiled. Ron handed Harry the Daily Prophet article that he'd been interviewed for and Harry found himself reading that as well.
Supporting Draco Malfoy: An Interview with Ron Weasley
In light of Draco Malfoy's recent arrest, I have Ron Weasley here. As some of you may know, Mr. Malfoy was arrested for bewitching Mr. Weasley's best friend, Harry Potter. What side does Ron stand on? We'll find out right now.
PP: Morning Mr. Weasley.
RW: Please call me Ron. Mr. Weasley is my dad.
PP: Alright Ron. Can you tell me how you found out about Mr. Malfoy's arrest?
RW: Of course. At around five thirty in the afternoon, Harry Flooed into the apartment I share with my wife, Hermione. He was upset. We asked him what had happened and he told us that Draco had been arrested for bewitching Harry.
PP: How horrible that must've been for Harry. Do you think there is any truth to the claim?
RW: Absolutely not. For one thing, Draco's pants at Dark Arts. And for another, Draco loves Harry. There's no way he'd ever do something like this to him.
PP: It sounds like you and Mr. Malfoy are pretty close.
RW: We are. In the past year, we've had a chance to really get to know each other and we're close now. Draco's like another brother.
PP: How long has he and Harry been together?
RW: A year. They kept it secret in the beginning because they were terrified of something like this happening.
PP: One last question Ron. Do you have any words for Mr. Malfoy?
RW: Of course I do. We're all supporting you Draco. You'll be home soon. We won't rest until you're home.
PP: Thank you Ron, for your time.
RW: No problem.
"Ron, that was brilliant." Harry said, yawning slightly.
"Thanks Mate."
As they talked, Hermione entered the room. She sat down next to Ron and sighed.
"I've just come from Azkaban. Bail was set but Draco refuses to leave unless he can go home to Harry." she said, sighing sadly.
"Stubborn git." Harry said, leaning his head against the table.
Seamus looked over at them. "The trial has been set for tomorrow morning. We've got everything we need for it as well. The biggest thing we've got is the proof that Harry wasn't bewitched."
"But will it be enough?"
Seamus nodded. "Their whole case rests on you being bewitched. We have proof that you weren't."
"I just want him home. I'm sick of being without him. I could barely sleep without him there."
"I know Harry. We'll have him home soon. I promise. We won't rest until he's home. Dean talked to the Healer that tested you last night and he's agreed to be a witness at the trial."
"Good. He said he would."
"All we can do now is wait for tomorrow morning." Dean said.
"God this is going to be the longest day of my life." Harry said.
"Why don't you go try and get some more sleep? I'll send an elf up with some food a little later." Lucius said, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Okay."
Harry, to his family's relief, ended up sleeping the entire day. He woke up a few times to eat but slept the rest of the day. When he woke up at six o'clock the next morning everyone was already awake. He showered and dressed in a pair of his best dress robes before heading downstairs to meet everyone before the trial.
"Is everyone ready? We're portkeying directly to the trial." Seamus asked after they'd finished eating.
Harry stood and, accompanied by Lucius and Narcissa, headed over to the large boot that served as a portkey. A few seconds later they were standing in a court room. Draco stood, in chains, a few feet away from Harry. There were dark circles around his eyes and his hair was disheveled. He looked at Harry and, seeing him, Draco's eyes filled with tears that slipped down his cheeks. Harry felt his heart constrict at the sight of those tears. This was wrong. Draco shouldn't cry. He smiled at Draco and mouthed the words 'I love you' before taking his seat directly behind him.
The defense called their first witness. Healer Hart testified that Harry had not been bewitched by anyone. He also testified that the test he used to determine this fact was fool proof. He was asked to step down after the prosecution could find no error in his testimony.
The prosecution called Astoria Greengrass. She testified that Draco had told her that he had bewitched Potter into falling in love with him. Harry had to be physically restrained at this. Draco looked angry but he'd always had better control than Harry did and so he just sat there, looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.
The defense's second witness was Daphne Greengrass. Daphne, Astoria's older sister, testified that she and Draco didn't even speak. Draco didn't like Astoria. She also testified that Draco was pants at Dark Arts and couldn't have bewitched Harry even if he'd wanted to.
The prosecution, of course, had no more witnesses. It was left, finally, for the Wizengamot to decide. For three and a half hours they waited before the Wizengamot came out and stated the verdict. Not guilty. Harry nearly cried with relief. As it was, he shot out of his seat and had Draco in his arms before anyone else could move.
"I love you so much Draco." he said,
Draco grinned. "I love you too Potter."
They headed home after that, wanting only to be together alone for the time being. Draco did, of course, thank everyone who had supported him before letting Harry drag him home.