Chapter Seven


"Vecel Zabini, you are being accused of the cold-blooded murder of twenty-three civilians, consisting of men, woman, and children."

The regal looking man in chains sitting before the Wizengamot did not lower himself to begging for a less drastic punishment. He was not ashamed of what he had done.

"Do have anything you wish to say to plead your innocence?"

"I murdered those unworthy of their magic." He said coolly. "They were impure."

One of the women sitting before him made a noise of disgust. "Who are you to decide who is worthy and unworthy?"

Vecel Zabini lifted his chin. "I am a Zabini, from the ancient and noble family that has been pure since before the First Wizarding War."

"Mr. Zabini, was your wife or your daughter involved in any of these murders?"

Vecel thought of his beautiful and proud wife, and his stubborn and audacious daughter. "No, they were not."

"Was your wife or your daughter aware of your crimes?"

"No, they were not."

"Do you have any witnesses you would like to call to the stand?"

Vecel Zabini was powerful and he had many friends, but he would not allow any of them to testify. He had been caught red handed, with blood on his skin that did not belong to him. He was guilty and he would not be ashamed. "No."

"A vote then." The man who spoke looked at his peers. "Innocent?"

Not a single hand went up.

"Guilty."

All the hands rose.

The man banged the small wooden hammer on his podium. "Vecel Zabini! You are convicted of the murder of innocents and are hereby sentenced to a life sentence in Azkaban."

Vecel let the guards drag him out of the room. In the hallway, he was blinded by the lights and flashes of bulbs as dozens of cameras went off. He ignored the questions being shouted in his face.


Sasha skipped that days' classes with Megyn and Tristan. They sat holed up in her dorm, which was the biggest of the three friends' dorm. Megyn's eyes were red from crying and she still clenched her mother's letter in her fist.

"I can't believe he killed all those people!" She cried. "He was cruel at times, but never a murderer!"

Sasha didn't know how to comfort her, but Tristan had her free hand tightly clenched in his own grip. Sasha sat awkwardly on the floor leaning against Megyn's legs.

"He killed children." Megyn said miserably. "He killed some girls our age! Did he see my face when he killed them?"

In the flick of an eye, Sasha shed her human form and leapt free of her pile of clothes. She curled in Megyn's lap and began to purr. Megyn bent and kissed Sasha's head. A few tears dropped into her yellow-gold fur.

"Never thought you'd be a cat comforting me." She said with a sad little laugh.

Tristan wrapped his arm around Megyn's shoulders. "Is your mother coming to visit you?"

"I don't know. She said she didn't want to leave the house with all the reporters about."

Sasha growled slightly.

Tristan nodded. "She should be here with you; you're her only daughter and this isn't easy."

Megyn shrugged miserably. "I have you guys. I'll be fine."

Sasha purred even louder.


The guards at Azkaban poked at the body with their wands. One of them looked up at the monstrous prison while the other checked the man's neck.

"He's dead."

"Reckon he jumped?"

The other shook his head. "No windows in his cell."

"He was a right bastard, never much liked him. Killed three babes not much older than my Sarah."

"Probably out of his pureblooded mind." The other said snidely. "Come on then, help me drag him up."

One guard took the corpse's feet while the other grabbed his wrists and together they carried the body of Vecel Zabini back into the prison. He only lived through two days of imprisonment.


This time, Megyn received no letter from her mother. She read about her father's death in the paper that morning at breakfast while Tristan held her around the waist and Sasha glared at everyone who's gaze lingered a second too long. She had already hexed two fifth years and even one seventh year that had made a snide comment about Megyn or her father.

Megyn cried openly at breakfast. It was Professor Johansson who left the staff table and half carried the girl out so that she could get some sleeping draught from the infirmary. Sasha and Tristan followed. Tristan sat at her bedside while Johansson spoke to Sasha a little ways away.

"This is just the beginning, Miss Potter." He said softly.

She frowned. "Why would that matter to us?"

He gripped her shoulder. "Be strong, Sasha. You're going to need it more than anyone else when the outside world reaches Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts is safe." She said fiercely.

"Nowhere is safe, Miss Potter." His voice was a bit sad. "Remember who the enemy is when it comes to it."

He left, leaving Sasha speechless and confused.