Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

Le Recommençant

Chapter 4

July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom

A pin drop could be heard in the silent courtroom as Gemini finished telling her story. The dark detail and sullen tone with which she depicted the night of her marking was all at once chilling and gripping. The courtroom hung on every word Gemini spoke as she laid out the details of that night, both the actual events and her own internal thought processes. As the tale concluded and Gemini seemed to come to her senses, breaking out of whatever spell her own memory had cast upon her, she looked startled at the audience around her. After a few moments of uneasy silence, Minister Shacklebolt questioned, "Do you admit then, Miss Malfoy, that you are guilty of the murder of the muggle, Addison Meadows?"

"Yes," whispered Gemini. Recounting the events of the worst night of her life seemed to have drained her of her strength, for she sat slumped in her interrogation chair, gripping the arms of the chair with white knuckles as though to prevent tumbling forward.

"I see," replied Shacklebolt. "It seems then that the question is not whether you were the one to end Addison Meadows' life, but, rather, whether you did so willfully."

Having become accustomed to the damnation of Madame Bones, Gemini's head perked up a bit at the Minister's new line of questioning.

"Tell us, Miss Malfoy, why did you cast the Killing Curse on Addison Meadows?" asked Shacklebolt.

Looking directly at Shacklebolt and ignoring the way the courtroom audience seemed to lean slightly forward in their seats, appearing to hang on whatever reply would be coming forthwith from her lips, Gemini responded, "It was the only way, of course."

"The only way you would be able to join the Deatheaters?" accused Madame Bones with a tone of disgust.

"No," interrupted Gemini, before Madame Bones could change the subject. Still addressing Shacklebolt directly, she continued, "It was the only way to ensure Draco survived. I regret that Addison Meadows had to die that night, but I do not regret killing her. It was the only way to keep my family safe."

The uproar that broke out in the courtroom following her statement caused Gemini to jump and break eye contact with Shacklebolt. The room appeared to be outraged at her words. Insults and cries of outrage rang from all directions as Gemini sank further and further into the hard interrogation chair, wishing it would perhaps swallow her whole so she could escape this torture.

"You heard her, she's a murderer and she's not sorry for it!" exclaimed one of the press members from the back of the room.

"How do we know she wouldn't kill again just for the fun of it?" shouted another.

"Once a Deatheater, always a Deatheater!" proclaimed an unknown voice from the crowd.

"SILENCE!" commanded Shacklebolt, calling order to the room once more. "I will have silence from the audience or I will declare this a completely closed trial from this point forth!"

The roar of the audience slowly died, but Gemini remained slumped in her chair, eyes shut tight against the barrage of hate.

Addressing the Wizengamot member, Shacklebolt said, "Though the sentiment may offend, what Miss Malfoy has admitted is that she did cast the Killing Curse on the identified muggle, Addison Meadows. However, she has also admitted that she did so only under the influence of extreme manipulation and coercion by Lord Voldemort, someone whom this council has known to be extremely adept at pressuring young people into 'no-win' situations. As such, I motion to reduce the charge of criminal manslaughter to criminal misconduct, as Miss Malfoy was both underage and under duress at the time of the event. All in favor?"

Gemini held her breath as hands slowly began to rise around the room. One by one hands raised until it became obvious that a majority had voted.

"Let it be recorded that the charge of criminal manslaughter has been reduced to criminal misconduct," announced Shacklebolt.

Addressing Gemini once more, Shacklebolt said, "The Wizengamot is not unsympathetic to the precarious situation in which your upbringing placed you, Miss Malfoy. While I believe the council has gathered enough information to deliberate on the majority of your accused crimes, we need to hear about your involvement with the murder of Albus Dumbledore. We have already heard a detailed account of the events of the night Dumbledore died from your brother, but we need to know more about how you may have been involved."

Nodding her head and shuffling in her chair to a more dignified and upright position, Gemini began, "I was at Beauxbatons the night Albus Dumbledore was killed and had no direct hand in his death; however, I did have some influence over the events of that night. Although the task to kill Dumbledore was assigned only to Draco, we have always shared everything and the task was no different."

August 8, 1996 – Malfoy Manor

Gemini awoke to the sound of a slamming door somewhere within the Manor and the sounds of raised voices which seemed to be getting closer. Scrambling out of bed and throwing on her dressing gown, she ripped open the door to her bedroom just in time to see Draco's door slam shut. Looking down the hall, Gemini ensured no one had followed Draco and then padded softly towards his door.

Standing outside his door, Gemini could hear what sounded like quite a torrent of destruction occurring on the other side as the sounds of glass shattering and wood crashing reached her ears.

Rapping sharply on the door three times in her 'signature' knock, Gemini waited for a response. The clamor inside the room quieted, but no response came. Gemini waited a moment before knocking one more time.

"Go away, Gemini. I don't want to talk," Draco called from behind the closed door.

"Well I should think talking about whatever it is that has you this upset would be more productive than destroying your property. I happen to know I've given you quite a few breakable Christmas gifts over the years and I am concerned for their safety right about now," quipped Gemini.

"I don't care about a couple of Christmas gifts, Gemi. This is none of your business so just go away!" Draco shouted.

Gemini flinched at Draco's tone. They rarely argued and, when they did, it was never serious.

"Draco Arcturus Malfoy, you open this door right now or I will blow it off its hinges and wake up everyone in this bloody manor!" Gemini shouted back. In a lower voice she added, "We both know how much Auntie Bella hates to be disturbed from her beauty sleep." There was a moment's pause before the door lock clicked and that was all the invitation Gemini needed to burst through the door.

Inside, the room was chaos. Draco had overturned his study table so parchment and ink from his summer work lay strewn about the floor and soaking into the white carpet. Pillow feathers floated through the air, not quite settled from their recent annihilation. The bedside table appeared to have fallen victim to Draco's wrath as well, bearing the marks of a swift Bombarda, it had been reduced to mere splinters. Broken pieces of glass and mirror littered the floor as Gemini gingerly approached Draco and pried the open decanter of aged fire whiskey, a Christmas gift from their father, from Draco's bloody left hand.

"You promised to share this, you know," Gemini softly admonished.

"Well you're here now so drink up," Draco dully responded, not bothering to meet his sister's gaze.

Gemini paused a moment, debating the merits of scolding Draco for his reckless drinking. Thinking better of it, she moved instead towards the only furniture in the room which appeared to have escaped Draco's fit, the dresser, and conjured two tumblers pouring three fingers into each. Taking a small sip of the caustic beverage, Gemini passed Draco a tumbler and asked, "Now what's all this fuss about? Surely it's nothing we can't work out a solution for."

Draco let out a disgusted sounding snort and took a generous gulp of his whiskey before responding, "There's no 'we' this time, Gemi. Just me. Just me and this bloody suicide mission."

"Suicide mission? Don't be ridiculous. Whatever it is Father has asked of you can't be that bad. There's no way he would jeopardize the life of his 'one true heir'," Gemini retorted.

"It wasn't Father who assigned me this task," replied Draco coldly.

Gemini's heart seemed to skip a beat at what Draco's words implied. "You were called in front of the Dark Lord? Without me?" Gemini inquired.

"Called, dragged… however you want to put it. Yes, I was summoned to his audience earlier this evening. Mother, Father, and Aunt Bella were there as well. A regular family reunion. I'm not sure why you weren't called other than perhaps they hoped to keep my task at least somewhat secret," supplied Draco.

"Well that's just stupid. Unless the Dark Lord bound you to silence, there's no way he doesn't know that you'll tell me everything. Perhaps that's the reason I wasn't summoned – he knew I'd be informed either way and preferred my silence on the matter," Gemini speculated.

"Do you want to know what my task is or are you going to stand there guessing all night?" Draco bit out.

Startled at his tone, Gemini responded irritably, "I'm sorry, Draco. Please, do tell me what our Lord requires of you which has you so pained. I promise not to extend even one more brain cell trying to work it out for myself."

Choosing to ignore Gemini's attitude, Draco cried desperately, "I have to kill him! I have to kill the greatest wizard alive and I have to do it before the school year is out!"

"Kill? Who do you have to kill? Not Harry Potter!" exclaimed Gemini, finally understanding how dire Draco's 'task' truly was.

"Harry Potter?! No. Fuck no. I said 'greatest wizard alive' not 'greatest wizard at living', Gemini! I meant Dumbledore. Albus bloody Dumbledore is my target. I have to kill him or the Dark Lord has informed me that he will be 'unable to assure the safety' of either you or Mother," Draco stuttered, his chest heaving as a new wave of sobs threatened to overcome him.

Letting out a long breath she didn't realize she had been holding, Gemini dropped down next to Draco at the foot of his bed. The silence in the room was thick, broken only by the sound of Draco's shuddering breaths and the ticking of the ornate grandfather clock in the corner. After what felt like a lifetime, but was probably only 5 minutes or so, Gemini seemed to come back to her senses. Taking hold of Draco's bloodied hand and she began muttering healing charms and wrapping his busted knuckles in gauze. Seemingly satisfied with her work, she patted Draco's injured hand, looked up and asked, "So what are we going to do about this then?"

July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom

"I helped Draco with his task as much as I could throughout the 1996-97 school year. I knew that Draco hadn't been kidding when he called the task a 'suicide mission'. The Dark Lord was most displeased with my family, following the events at the Department of Mysteries the previous year and I know my Mother's persistence that we were too young to participate in Deatheater raids was grating on what little patience the Dark Lord possessed," Gemini explained. "The Dark Lord was eager to both dispose of his greatest enemy and teach those in his Deatheater ranks a lesson. Assigning Draco a seemingly unachievable task assured the completion of at least one, if not both of those goals. If Draco failed, then the Malfoys would be made an example of for all Deatheaters who dared let down their master. If Draco succeeded, then Albus Dumbledore would be dead and, in his eyes at least, the war would be all but won." Pausing to take a moment to collect her thoughts and let the information she'd supplied thus far sink in.

Taking the opportunity, Madame Bones goaded Gemini, "So you'll admit that you were eager to assist your brother with his task? You knowingly and willfully assisted with the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Gemini responded testily, her patience with Madame Bones' pedantic line of questioning reaching its end. "Yes, I 'knowingly' and 'willingly' helped my brother. I did so because I knew that, without my help, Draco had zero chance of succeeding. Draco is quite intelligent in his own right, but two heads are always better than one and Draco needed someone to help keep attention away from him. I held no personal ill-will towards the late Hogwarts headmaster, but I would do anything to protect my family. Rather, I would do anything to protect Draco and my mother. Father can rot for all I care."

The whispers around the courtroom picked up intensity again, the audience taking in the apparent derision Gemini held for Lucius Malfoy and the passion with which she spoke about protecting her mother and brother. The tale Gemini was weaving for the audience left everyone questioning their own understanding of events and had them guessing at the true character of the Malfoy none of them had even known existed.

"Silence!" demanded Kingsley and the room quieted once more. Turning to Gemini, Kingsley asked, "How exactly do you aid Mr. Malfoy if you were at Beauxbatons?"

"Research primarily," replied Gemini. "I helped Draco orchestrate both failed attempts, first with the poisoned mead and then with the cursed necklace. I suppose I was also a supplier of sorts. I didn't hold out much real hope for either plan, but I knew we could buy time with the Dark Lord if we put on a good show of effort."

"A supplier? Do you mean to say you sent Mr. Malfoy dangerous artifacts through something as insecure as owl post?" inquired Madame Bones snidely.

Struggling by this point to tolerate Madame Bones' relentless questioning, Gemini squeezed her eyes shut, let out a slow breath, and counted down from five before responding, "I'm not quite finished, Madame Bones. May I continue or shall you continue to cut me off?"

"You insolent little brat! You'll be locked in Azkaban soon enough, but faster if you don't learn to hold that tongue of yours," exclaimed Bones, unable to hide her malcontent for Gemini any longer.

"That's enough Madame Bones – you will not threaten the defendant in my courtroom! The court will take a twenty minute recess and you will calm down by the time we re-adjourn or else I'll find someone else to represent the prosecution. Do you understand me?" seethed Kingsley.

Stunned at the Minister's venomous reprimand, Bones responded meekly, "Yes, sir. My apologies, sir" and scurried out of the courtroom, sparing Gemini one last glare.

With the court in recess, the two hulking Azkaban guards returned to her side.

"Do you need to use the facilities?" asked one of the guards gruffly.

Gemini considered this offer. The hearing would most likely go one for several more hours, given the excruciating detail with which she was forced to recount her version of events. However, she had been too anxious to eat and had foolishly foregone any beverage as well.

"No. I could use some water though," replied Gemini.

"What do you think this is? A luxury hotel? We're not bringing you snacks!" barked the other guard while his companion chortled next to him.

"I understand that. However, I am speaking a great deal during this hearing and I need water if I'm to continue answering the Wizengamot's questions to the fullest extent," hissed Gemini.

"Just get her some water," someone interrupted from somewhere behind her.

Turning slightly to peer over her shoulder, Gemini saw that none other than Harry Potter was the owner of the voice that had spoken.

"She has a right to basic amenities while awaiting a verdict. That includes water," Potter finished.

"Very well, Mr. Potter," replied one of the guards, before conjuring a glass and water and handing it roughly to Gemini.

The water was tepid. Merlin forbid she receive anything pleasant or refreshing during her incarceration, water included. Instead of voicing this thought, Gemini let out a curt, "Thank you," and took a sip of the water.

Her eyes remained locked on Potter as he returned to his seat. It appeared he himself had been returning from the facilities when he heard the ridiculous exchange. Why Harry Potter would give a damn about her or her comfort Gemini had no idea, but it made her extremely uncomfortable and she decided in that moment that she disliked it immensely and hoped to avoid any further borderline-cordial interactions with Harry Potter for the rest of time.

Gemini didn't have any more time to ponder the actions of Harry Potter. When she turned back around, the Wizengamot members had returned and Kingsley was ushering the audience back to their seats.

"The criminal hearing of Ms. Gemini Aurora Malfoy, the 26th of July 1998 is re-adjourned," the mousey court clerk called.

Clearing his throat, Kingsley began, "Ms. Malfoy, before the recess you were about to tell the Wizengamot of your involvement with Mr. Malfoy's two failed attempts on Albus Dumbledore's life. Please continue."

Feeling the pressure of the entire courtroom's stare return to her, Gemini took a quick sip of her water and returned to her tale.

"It was mid-August when the Dark Lord presented Draco with his task – a good two weeks before the start of term at Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Draco and I decided to make use of the remaining time we had together and began plotting out various ways to bring about the demise of the Hogwarts headmaster. Coming up with stealthy ways to end the life of the wizard who brought down Grindelwald was no small task and, by the end of the summer, the only weak but potentially viable option which had presented itself to us did so almost by accident."