Warning: Another short chapter.
.IX.
The afternoon wore on quiet and peacefully. After he had eaten, Harry had foolishly accepted the challenge of a game of chess from Ron. He had little expectations of winning, but it still didn't help his ego as he watched as his pieces were picked off one by one, leaving the lone king to dance the final moves with very little hope. Neither did the cackling laughter as Ron purposefully led Harry a merry chase. Hermione sat in the study reading.
It was just before the dinner hour and after the boys switched to a game of exploding snaps, when Hermione shifted suddenly in her seat, causing a piece of parchment to crinkle loudly under her. Harry snickered, causing her to blush lightly.
"Ha Ha, very bloody funny," Hermione glared as she shifted and reached under her, and pulled out a very badly crinkled folded parchment. She looked at the slightly cracked seal and raised an eyebrow. "Harry? Did you know you got a letter from the Ministry?"
Harry leapt to his feet, eyes wide. "Uh… Oops?"
Hermione just rolled her eyes and thrust the parchment into his hands. "Is it that usual for you to get private missives from the Minister himself that you can ignore them?"
"Oh come on, Hermione. For one thing, it came only seconds before you yowled for me to go to the kitchen, and second, if I don't want to open my mail, it's my business!"
"Yowled!" she shrieked then caught herself and rolled her eyes. "Alright, it's your business. Now what does it say?"
Harry levelled a look at her.
Ron cleared his throat. "Now, now children, let's just calm down a bit, yeah?"
The bickering two turned their glare on Ron who choked. The twin glares turned suspicious before Hermione grinned suddenly. "Yes, yes, we're children. Now will you read the letter?" she pleaded with Harry.
Harry sighed in defeat and broke the seal. The letter flew out of his hands, unfurled and ruffled, almost like a bird who straightens his feathers. When it was finished smoothing its creases, it strengthened into a scroll and allowed Harry to handle it again. Upon it was pinned another piece of parchment. This read.
Harry, please carefully consider the following. DO NOT venture into any action which may draw the public notice of your faux house imprisonment unless you are ready to face them once more. I highly recommend that you remain as you are for the time being. Also, your memories have been recorded for such events and will be returned to you shortly. Stay well. Kingsley.
The informal note covered the detailed minutes from the Malfoy trial, including the hours of community service needed, fines and penalties which must be paid in full before they can rejoin the community in full capacity (Kingsley also added a few marginal notes, indicating which law to reference, most of which Harry didn't recognize). One item of note which was withheld from the small family was their ancestral manor. The wealthy Malfoys were now homeless.
"Lucius Malfoy was sentenced to ten years in Azkaban." Harry said suddenly. "And without the head of the family, they can't access their main vault and are unable to pay all the fines owed."
"Wouldn't Draco be the head now that his father is incarcerated?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged and handed her the scroll. She quickly skimmed it.
"Oh that's horrible! Transference of Family Head is usually passed on through death, but in the case of a living member passing on the title to their heir, a magical ceremony must take place. I'd forgotten how archaic the Wizarding World can be…" Hermione mused as if to herself. Her eyes flicked rapidly back and forth across the page. They widened once and she handed the scroll back to Harry. "Those ceremonies cannot take place within the prison as the wards do not allow for magical transference. As of the moment in which the trail was concluded, there is no Lord Malfoy to govern and protect the family. The name, therefore, is merely decoration. Even after the terms of service are finished, they won't be able to properly join the society until Lucius is released."
Harry scoffed. "So what? They will still be allowed in public, won't they? They just won't be in the same social circles they used to be, right?"
Hermione bit her lip, obviously conflicted. She knew and understood the implications, but like Harry, she was grew up in a muggle household, and those ideals were ingrained. There really wasn't any reason why the Malfoys wouldn't be able to survive like everyone else.
Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Um… that's not exactly all there is."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, instantly, demanding to know the more intricate dealings of the Wizarding World that still remain a mystery. Harry just grunted, staring once more at the scroll in front of him.
Ron blushed. "Well, we all know that there is no difference between pure, half and muggleborns… but most everyone, especially purebloods, think differently." Ron petered off, face red with embarrassment. "There are some… some businesses who won't, uh, cater to those without proper status."
Ron away finally, as if he couldn't continue. As if there was some evil deed he himself was responsible for.
Harry, curiosity finally piqued, squatted down in front of the lanky red head's chair. "What is it? What's so bad?"
"Dumbledore never bothered, so it wasn't really a problem when he was around, or so my parents have always told us. And goblins never cared a wit about wizarding status… but now that he's gone and… and lots of families like Malfoy lost their place in society, it's just, most of them were able to pass on the title to their heir before being carted off to Azkaban to help regain…"
"Just spill it out Ron!" Hermione burst, obviously not able to take his rambles when there is a juicy, tantalizing piece of information just out of reach…
"Public services are cut from them, school and hospital included."
Harry fell back on his bum, legs sprawled awkwardly under him while Hermione slumped in her seat, staring in horrific disbelief at Ron. "But that's-."
"The way things are. You see, once a family falls from status, they cease to exist. Those codes which worked in their favour are no longer accessible." Ron was so hunched over that his forehead nearly touched his knees and his words came out muffled and sullen.
Harry and Hermione remained in stunned silence and the quite echoes in the room grew until they were deafening.
"What?" Ron snapped suddenly, "Haven't you ever wondered why being a blood traitor was such a bad thing to gits like Malfoy? Let me tell you, it had nothing to do with Voldemort!" He stood suddenly and stomped out of the room.
Hermione shook herself and scrambled to her feet. "Ron!" she called, chasing after him.
Harry stayed where he was, still holding the piece of parchment which detailed the extinction of an old family name. The note attached made more sense now, than it did fifteen minutes ago as he felt the first kindling of rage ignite.
He had just picked himself up off the floor and settled down in Ron's chair, idly shuffling the cards over and over when Hermione entered.
"He went home." She said. "Just to see his family. He promised it wouldn't be like last time."
Last time. That horrible time only a few months ago when Harry was certain he had lost his first and best friend. No, it couldn't be like last time. That would be the creation of the impossible.
Harry said nothing as he shuffled the cards again, loudly. Hermione sighed and sank down into the opposing chair. "Deal me in?" She asked.
Wordlessly, Harry dealt the allotted cards and began another game of exploding snaps.
