Standing in the grate I search out Charlie's eyes and he gives me the tinniest of reassuring nods and I take a deep breath and the next minute I am in the atrium of the ministry and the noise that explodes around me is deafening. Fear courses through my veins and I can feel myself begin to shake as people scream my name and flashes go off all around me a hand grabs at me and I shrink back and then suddenly Charlie is beside me, his arm securely around my waist and my entire body responds to the safety of being near him.

"I'm here baby, I'm right here," he whispers in my ear as we wait for everyone to come through and then Charlie and I are in the middle of a kind of circle of Weasley's as we are led away from the press and crowds and into a waiting room off of the court room. Once inside the waiting starts the tension is growing and the others are slipping in and out of the room until eventually the lawyer comes in and tells us its time, shakily I get to my feet and head out into the court room, Charlie by my side. As we enter there is a hushed silence that falls over the room. The wizagmot are all there as well as press and other important ministry members, I am led over to a bench at the front where I sit next to my lawyer and Charlie goes to sit behind with the rest of the family. As soon as he is gone the shaking returns to my hands and I have to fight to stay sitting and not run away like a small child. Dolohov and Lestrange are chained to chairs to the side of me and I try my best not to look at them.

The first two hours drift by slowly as person after person takes the stand to give their account of what has happened, what they have done and it does nothing to quell my nerves, as they both sit there staring straight ahead never moving or saying anything.

"Persephone Black is called to the stand," the announcement of my name jolts me out of my reverie as a hush descends upon the room except for the two prisoners who immediately start quivering in their seats and swapping glances with each other, the first time they had moved at all and it doesn't go un-noticed.

"Persephone Black, do you swear that what you are about to say is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the man asks and I nod my head quickly before remembering that I need to speak and opening my mouth.

"Yes," I say as confidently as possible.

"For the court could you please give a brief background of your life leading up until a year ago," the lawyer says and I stare in shock before gathering myself and beginning to answer the questions.

After an hour and a half of questioning about my past we finally move on to the cross examination by the defence.

"So Miss Black you claim that on the morning of the 24th of September you planned to catch these two apparent death eaters with Harry Potter and other aurors?"

"Yes, and they are death eaters you just need to check their arms," I answer sounding a lot braver than I felt and I was beginning to feel exhausted by this.

"But it was unsuccessful and they captured you,"

"Yes"

"They held you for over a week, torturing you and starving you,"

"Yes"

"Well I must say you look remarkably well for it," he smirks,

"Thanks" I bite out.

"In fact one could say that you look so well that it can't possibly be true, in fact how can someone who claims to have spent most of her life imprisoned and beaten look so well," he declares and I can see Charlie and Harry being physically restrained in their seats by the others.

"I have power, passed down through the Black family line, it allows me to communicate with dragons and share with them, I was healed by one not long before I was kidnapped," I answer.

"Oh that is convenient, you have no scars because a dragon healed you," he laughs as if it is so unbelievable the whole case should be thrown out straight away.

"That's not true," I cut in,

"Oh so a dragon didn't heal you?"

"Yes he did…"

"Well which is it Miss Black he did and you are no longer scarred or he didn't," he interrupts.

"He did heal me but before I was kidnapped the scars I received when being held by them," I break off pointing at the two men, "those I still have," I finish.

"Show us then,"

"What?" I gasp,

"Prove it, if you do indeed have these scars we might start to believe your story," he says smugly, I gaze wildly around the whole family are staring open mouthed in shock not knowing what to say, the lawyer cross examining me is looking smug like he knows I have no scars, I realise then that they must have told him they had no left marks.

"Okay," I virtually whisper, quickly taking off my jacket and closing my eyes turn around and take off my blouse revealing the ugly scars that mar my back to everyone, I can hear the roar of noise from everyone in the room and after a few seconds I redress and turn back round my face flaming.

"So you have some scars but lets get back to the real issue here," he says looking slightly shaken.

"Yes,"

"You were being held by ten death eaters?"

"Yes,"

"And you say that you attacked them, killing eight and incapacitating these two after being held for eight days, without a wand,"

"Yes that's right," again there is a rise in noise from the crowd,

"Why did you pick then to escape?"

"I had to," I say weakly,

"How long have you been practising magic?"

"A little over a year,"

"No schooling,"

"No, you know that, I… I was held prisoner," I say.

"And you really expect us to believe that a girl, weakened by days of torture and abuse who has little to no education in magic is capable of wandless magic powerful enough to inflict that kind of damage on powerful death eaters?" the man laughs and a few of the wizagonmot are looking doubtful too.

"Yes,"

"Why not just wait for rescue?"

"I couldn't," I stutter.

"Admit, you're lying for attention, the things you are claiming are impossible," he sneers,

"It's the truth,"

"Why then?"

"Because if I didn't do it then they would have perfected the spells to take away my magic and make Dolohov the new dark lord," I scream my last words echoing in the suddenly silent room, I wasn't supposed to say that, he pushed me too far. I glance at Dolohov and he looks murderous and then suddenly the both chant a curse at me and I can see it flying towards me a coma curse, the only unforgivable that can be cast without a wand. Without thinking I throw my hands up and feel the shield fly out to protect everyone within a striking distance of the two prisoners. Then using my other hand I silence both men and then stupefy them before letting the shield down and falling into the wood in front of me holding onto the ledge to try and stop the dizziness.

"She did it,"

"She can really cast wandless magic that powerful,"

"I've never seen anyone other than Dumbledore that powerful,"

"Is she alright?" I can hear the comments as the noise level keeps rising and my legs are buckling beneath me. Strong arms suddenly catch me and pull me towards a familiar embrace and scent.

"Charlie?" I whisper as I feel myself passing out,

"I'm here…" is all I hear him say before I pass out.

Charlie's POV

Watching her take on all the questions being thrown at her I have never felt prouder of her but I'm worried too I can see that she is tense and scared and I can almost feel her weakening. When the defence lawyer asks to see her scars and says she is lying I almost leap out of my chair but Fred and Bill are holding me down. I close my eyes when she strips to show her back and hear the gasps and see the flashes of the cameras and hear the scribbling of notes. Suddenly she has been goaded into telling about the old magic and her gifts and then Dolohov and Lestrange are trying to curse her and she is shielding everyone and stopping them. The frenzy of activity and noise is deafening as I see her falter knowing that she is about to collapse and I run to her as fast as I can, catching her just in time.

"Charlie?" she whispers,

"I'm here, I'm here baby you're safe," I whisper but she is already unconscious. "Harry quick we need to get her out of here now," I yell and within seconds we are back in the waiting room as Hermione checks her over.

"She's okay just fainted its exhaustion and then having to use her powers too, she'll be okay though we just need to get her home," she says and I sigh in relief.

"Okay same formation as before, Charlie you'll go through with her this time, we need to be quick and tight, I'm afraid our Sephy has just become even more famous than you Harry," he says grimly with only the hint of a smile gracing his lips.

"Okay," we all nod and grasping her close to me we get into position and make our way through to the atrium,

"I'm staying to find out the verdict, I'll keep Ron and Bill with me, I'll come let you know as soon as I do," Harry says as we reach the fireplace.

As soon as we land in the kitchen of the burrow I head straight to the living room and sit heavily in our favourite armchair clutching her to me, reassuring myself that she was going to be okay as I listened to her breathing.

"Charlie," she whispers against my neck a few minutes later, and I can't help the sigh of relief that escapes me as she does.

"Yes, I'm here baby," I smile at her as she snuggles into me further,

"Is it over?" she asks quietly,

"Yes baby it's over, and you did brilliantly," I say stroking her hair back from her face gently as I do and then conjuring a blanket as she shiver slightly, "go back to sleep baby, rest okay, I'll wake you later when Harry is home," I whisper and she smiles snuggling as far as she can into my chest.

"How is she?" Harry's voice comes from the doorway a couple of hours later,

"She's fine, just sleeping," I say back, "what happened at the ministry?" I ask tension clear in my voice.

"Verdict came back in three minutes, they both got life," he smiles,

"But?" I ask sensing the but in his sentence.

"We're going to have to extra careful with her," he says and I sigh sensing that this would be coming.

"What do you mean?" I ask gravely suddenly aware that the rest of the family has been ushered in by Bill and Ron and are all standing around silently listening to what Harry has to say.

"What happened in the court room is already all over the Daily Prophet and she is being sought out, there are reporters outside already and… she's famous, really famous and a target for everyone from researchers, fame hunters to dark wizards," he sighs,

"How will she handle it?" Bill asks quietly voicing my own fears with his question.

"I really don't know mate, she's so naïve about our world, about any world still and far too trusting and kind and beautiful we're just going to have to take this one day at a time and keep a close eye on her," Fred says and the others all nod in agreement.

"Hey," she mutters as she stirs and opens her eyes taking a second to gaze around at everybody in the room, "what happened?" she asks in a small voice trying to suppress the shudder than runs through her but I feel it and pull her closer to me.

"They are both going to spend the rest of their lives in Askaban Seph, you did it, we're free of death eaters," Harry smiles and she lets out a breath letting a small smile of happiness graces her face lighting up her beauty despite the dark shadows under her eyes and her still slightly emaciated figure.

"So why are you all still looking worried?" she asks being ever perceptive.

"Well… the thing is Seph…" George starts but I interrupt quickly.

"It's better coming from me," I say quietly and they nod and she is staring at me, "let's go out to the garden ay," I say quietly and lift her to me carrying her outside where I settle us on the porch swing.

"What's the matter?" she asks looking worried,

"Nothing… well, it's complicated…" I start and she jumps up suddenly swaying dangerously on her feet while I sit for a second in shock at her movements.

"You're leaving me," she gasps and I am in front of her pulling her shaking body back to me in a millisecond.

"No. God baby no, I promised you never and I meant it," I say quickly and feeling her legs buckle lower us back to sitting,

"Oh, sorry," she whispers a beautiful blush creeping up her neck.

"It's okay baby, but listen what happened today… it's all over the wizarding world… what I mean is…"

"Everyone knows who I am, they're all going to be trying to get involved in my life," she answers and I am struck once again by her intelligence.

"Yes, but we're going to be here to protect you okay, to keep you safe," I say and she smiles again leaning up to kiss me.

"I know," she whispers into my neck, "can we go to bed now please?" she asks and I smile nodding to her and carrying her inside and up to our bedroom.