Chapter 11 Trials and Tribulations
Draco had been walking on eggshells with me ever since the night I came home and told him about Ginny and Harry breaking up. If I hadn't told him, he would have easily found out in the news the next day, since it was all over the front page of Witch Weekly. Ginny had been sacked, and it was obvious that the leak was someone who had been at the shower, because the article contained too many truths about the evening. The magazine painted me as. "The savior's savior," and "his jealous mistress," and made Ginny out to be a money hungry monster, which wasn't too far from the truth.
Thus the decision to turn Ginny over to the Ministry was taken out of her family's hands, as the Ministry decided to conduct a full blown investigation of the accusations against her. She was taken into custody immediately by some of the Aurors on Harry's own work force. Her initial hearing was scheduled for the following week, the same day her wedding to Harry would have taken place. How's that for justice?
It was still a little hard for me to believe that Harry was finally rid of that traitorous leech. It didn't seem as hard for Draco to believe though. He called me incessantly on the days following the blow up, and popped into my office unexpectedly at least once or twice. It was getting excessive, but every time I tried to talk to him about his clinginess, he got defensive and assumed I was going to pitch him.
In contrast, I had only seen mere glimpses of Harry in the days following his wedding shower, and it was always in the Ministry building, leaving a lift, going through security or devouring a quick bite in the cafeteria. Every time I tried to approach him, he would evade me and slink away somewhere I couldn't get to him. I tried to shrug it off, but I must admit it left me a little uneasy. Was he mad at me? Did he think I leaked the story to the press or something?
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It was Wednesday afternoon when I got the summons to meet with the Wizengamot. It was snowing outside; at least according to the wizarding window I had in my office, though it really wasn't accurate and mostly just based on the mood of the witch or wizard operating it that particular day.
Ginny's trial was Saturday, and it was going to be a press field day, so they were bringing in witnesses to hear their testimonies before hand. Then they would hear Ginny's plea and review the information and be able to give a quick judgment. It was perfectly logical, but I still didn't want to sit before the Wizengamot. They creep me out a little.
I just had enough time to eat lunch, which had been interrupted once again by Draco, before I had to make my way up to level two. I was thankful I wouldn't need to be venturing down to the dungeons to sit in an actual courtroom. I suppose that would probably come Saturday though. For now, I only had to meet with the assistant to the Minister and the Wizengamot in their administrative offices.
As I got off the lift I saw the entrance to the Auror Department and was tempted to make a detour. I resisted the temptation however, since I was already running behind. I made by way down the hall until I reached the door to the administrative offices. When I went to grasp the handle, the door swung open of its own accord and a short plump witch ushered me into a large room around the corner.
The room was vast and bright, with a wall of fake windows lining one whole wall. Apparently on the second floor, it was not snowing at all, but rather bright and sunny. The Wizengamot were already seated in a long row in front of the windows, and I was prompted to sit in one of the four chairs across from them. I apparently was not the only person being questioned, and felt slightly on edge as I looked at the occupants of the remaining three chairs. To my left sat Harry and to my right sat Ron, and Molly sat on his other side.
I recognized most of the panel, as I had to work with the Wizengamot quite often in my department. Minister Kingsley's assistant Amelia Piffle seemed to be leading the questioning. "As the closest to the accused, one Ginevra Molly Weasley, we decided to bring you four in for the first round of questioning," the young brunette motioned to a quill and scroll in the corner, which was documenting the hearing, "we shall record all your answers, and also take a pensieve memory of this hearing for review by the Minister."
We all nodded in unison, having gone through this whole process before during the Death Eater trials.
"We'll start with the account of Harry James Potter, former fiancé of the accused and reportedly the main target of the illegal magic performed.
"Oh course they'll start with me," Harry muttered softly so that only I could hear him. I stifled a laugh, but he just turned and glared at me. Why was he so angry with me?
The hearing dragged only slowly. Harry stood before the panel and recounted the events of the last few years. "I had no idea that she was manipulating my mind and influencing my decisions," he told them, "it was Hermione who discovered the details and broke her magic."
Amelia turned to me then, "is this true Ms. Granger?" I only nodded and the panel resumed their focus on Harry. "What, Mr. Potter, do you think the punishment should be for these heinous crimes again you, one of our most prestigious citizens?"
Harry looked appalled, "I don't think my status as war hero or even as Head Auror should effect any decision made here. I wish you to treat this as any other trial, and give Ginny fair treatment. If you will al do this, then I will abide by your decision, whatever it may be." There was murmuring throughout the panel, but Harry pressed on, "I would request however, that a sentence to Azkaban be removed from the options available. I think that would be far too steep a judgment for one who is still so young."
My slacked jaw must have betrayed by disagreement with Harry's words, for Amelia looked directly to me next, "do you disagree with Mr. Potter's request, Ms. Granger?"
I took a deep breath. Since my sheer inability to lie would prevent me from hurting the feelings of the other three at this table, I would have to be as short and concise as possible. "Personally," I started, "I think there is no punishment too great, for a witch or wizard, who would do what Ginny has done to another person," my mouth went dry as I felt the murderous stares from Harry beating upon me, "however I think that since Harry bore the brunt of Ginny's ill intensions, then his wishes should be adhered to first and foremost in this matter."
I looked up at Harry, but he would no longer meet my eyes. I looked to Ron, but he just shook his head slightly, as if to say he would tell me later. The panels quietly discussed the last few pieces of information and then refocused on Harry. "Mr. Potter, can you tell the panel why you did not turn Ginevra is right away?"
We all turned pale. They couldn't use this trial to hurt Harry in some way could they? Harry answered slowly, "In all honesty, I was still confused as to the extent of the effects of Ginny's magic until after the news report was released to the public the following morning. I'm still confused. Plus, since I had no intentions of pressing charges against her, I thought her parents would be capable of handling her punishment.
A sob from Molly made us all turn to look at her. She was muttering about how ashamed she was, and what a good decent man Harry had been to her daughter. Most of her words came out as choked sobs, and the Wizengamot sent her out of the room to compose herself.
The panel allowed Harry to sit, and had me stand for questioning next. I recounted the sensations I would get around Ginny that would compel me to agree with her. Then I told them about Ron's visit to my office a few weeks prior and the information he related that set me to my research. I conveniently left off the breaking and entering bit, and went straight to the wedding shower.
The other boys collaborated my account of the shower and the panel allowed me to take my seat as they called upon Ron. He recounted the changes in his sister's behavior over the years, and his recent suspicions that she was up to something more sinister when it came to Harry's affections. He had been out of town the night of the shower, but said that had he been there, he didn't know what he would have done to his baby sister.
They let the three of us leave before they called for Molly to come back inside. We passed her in the corridor and she was still sobbing. I was so glad we didn't have to witness her questioning; it would have taken forever.
As we came up to the lifts, Harry left us without a word and headed silently toward the Auror department. I looked to Ron and he shook his head solemnly and we took the lift back to my office. As soon as I closed the door behind us I attacked him, "alright Ron, out with it. Why is Harry so angry at me?"
Ron sighed and suddenly found his trainers very interesting, "He blames you for the articles in the paper."
"What?" I shouted, "He can't possibly think I leaked the story to Witch Weekly."
Ron put up his hands in defense, "No, no nothing like that, although it looked like he may have thought it for a moment. I just mean he blames you because you made such a public display of outing her, that it left it open to be easily exploited."
"That's rubbish," I replied, though honestly I could see where Harry was coming from.
"Anyway," Ron continued, "No killing the messenger alright?"
I shook my head, unable to find humor in much of anything at the moment. "How long to you think he'll stay irked with me?"
Ron shook his head again; "I think he's a bit more then irked with you, Mione. You may have to dig yourself out of this one. Harry's whole life has been turned upside down by this whole thing, and he's still not sure where his thoughts about her started, and where her influence began."
"I've made a right mess of it this time haven't I," I asked, rubbing my forehead between my fingertips.
"Yes, you have," he replied bluntly, "Lucky for you though; you don't mess up too often. He may forgive you yet."
We said our good byes and I went back to work, having lost out on three hours of the day, I was way behind now. Draco stopped by with dinner around seven and took the news that Harry was not speaking to me unsurprisingly well. Maybe at least this would get him to chill out a bit, silver lining and all that.
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Ginny's trial made front-page news for every wizarding paper or magazine you could get your hands on. I went with Draco and we sat in the back of the auditorium. I avoided Rita Skeeter who kept trying to get an interview with me, and continued to ask questions as I walked like, "Do you hope Miss. Weasley gets the kiss?" and "I see you're here with Draco Malfoy, does that mean that you and Harry are off?" Draco assisted me into the courtroom once she started in with that line of questioning.
I have to say it was harder then I thought it would be to see Ginny shackled to the chair in the center of the room. Though, if I had my wits about me that day in the café when she called Lily Potter a mudblood, it might have been me in that chair. Only I would have been tried for murder. It made me wonder how many of the decisions I made when I was around her, were my decision at all.
Still, this new Ginny, the small round one who looked just like her mother, made me think of the girl I had gone to school with. The one I treated like a little sister, and who looked up to me for advice. The one I helped get Harry in the first place. Did I create this monster? This girl who got whatever she wanted, and couldn't stand for it to be any other way. Did I set her up for failure? Maybe.
I didn't make her choices for her though, and as a wise wizard once said, "It's the choices you make that define you." Maybe Ginny was just always too susceptible to the dark arts. Maybe that's why Tom Riddle's diary found her to be an easy vessel.
Ginny stared at me through the whole trial. Rumor has it she blamed me entirely for her predicament. I think she was going to have to take a number. Public humiliation, imprisonment and loss of love… how many points is that?
The decision was swift, as the Wizengamot had done all their homework. I think they did listen to Harry, because their sentence was more in line with what would have been given to any other prisoner. She was sentenced to house arrest at the Burrow, and mandatory therapy sessions. In addition her wand would be confiscated for a period of five years, in which she would be reevaluated.
I could tell Harry thought it was fair, even if it may have been a little easy in my own personal viewpoint. Draco and I left quickly, trying to avoid any further press and went straight to my flat. I was riddled with exhaustion and my body ached from it. I couldn't believe that Harry was still refusing to speak to me. He had sent back all of my owls unopened and even locked the floo to Grimmauld Place from my flat. The lengths he took to avoid me bordered on insane, and it was starting to make me angry.
Draco and I settled in for the evening. He had taken to sleeping at my flat most nights unless something came up. We had gotten so close over the last few weeks despite his recent freak out over Harry. I think he saw now that Harry and I were in two different places, and it would take an act of Merlin for us to converge.
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