A/N: I have no idea about legal terminology, so sorry if anything seems off here, although the wizarding world legal system is quite different anyway. Please let me know if anything sticks out as a problem to you.
Kingsley Shacklebolt rapped hard against the wood of the Minister's bench, a signal for silence in the courtroom. Andromeda's hands tightened anxiously around the folds of the robes she was clutching in her lap. She'd debated with herself about attending the trial, but eventually decided she owed her sister this much. She'd told her husband she was meeting a friend for coffee: a poor lie, as lies went, but Ted never questioned much, he was far too trusting for that. Nymphadora was so busy Andromeda doubted if she'd notice much about her mother's movements. Andromeda hoped not, anyway. Ted's reaction she wasn't sure of, but Dora would definitely not be happy about what Andromeda was about to do.
"Narcissa Callidora Malfoy, you are hereby charged with aiding and abetting the illegal terrorist group known as the Death Eaters, acting as an accessory to murder, acting as an accessory to torture, assisting in imprisoning others within your home, sheltering known fugitives from the law, and lying to this court on the date of the 15th November 1981, for the purpose of protecting your husband, Lucius Malfoy, from justice. How do you plead?"
Narcissa had been watching Kingsley with cool detachment as he read the list of charges. "Guilty, but I claim mitigating circumstances," she said calmly, her face still and devoid of emotion.
Andromeda felt a churning in the pit of her stomach as she stared at her sister. Narcissa's hair was swept up neatly, her make-up perfect, her clothes smart yet understated. The weight of the charges did not seem to ruffle her at all, at least on the surface, but Andromeda knew better. The signs had not changed since childhood: the stiffening of her sister's shoulders, held even straighter than her usual haughty pose; the tightness in her jaw and the slight flicker of fear in her eyes. However, Andromeda knew that she was very likely the only person in the courtroom who could see her sister's terror.
Andromeda was slightly surprised by the plea, but on reflection she supposed it made sense. There was simply too much evidence, some of which was currently being read in the form of written statements from convicted Death Eaters in Azkaban. Andromeda tried not to listen, but it was impossible.
"Is it true that you offered your home to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters to use as a base?"
It was the first true sign of anxiety: Narcissa jerked backwards at the name as though she'd been burned, but quickly composed herself.
"It is true that our home was used in such a way, but I would not say I offered it freely. I was very afraid for the safety of my husband and son… if we had refused, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have killed us all. I am certain of that."
"Can you explain for the court why you believed your lives were in danger?"
Andromeda pulled her cloak around her shoulders as Narcissa recounted the next part of her tale, suddenly feeling cold to the core. That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would use a seventeen year-old boy to punish his father… to punish a mistake, at that, not a betrayal.
"When Severus was the one to kill Albus Dumbledore, and not my son, the Dark Lord-" Narcissa cut off suddenly and swallowed, hard.
"Would you like to take a few moments to compose yourself, Mrs Malfoy?" Kingsley asked kindly.
Narcissa shook her head, even though a tear was leaking out of one blue eye to make a salty trail down her cheek. Shock jolted Andromeda's whole body: Narcissa never cried in public.
"He- he-" Narcissa swallowed hard, and spoke the rest of the sentence in a rush. "He tortured my son for weeks."
Kingsley nodded. "The testimonies here support what you are saying: that the Malfoy family was in a very difficult position at this point in the war."
Andromeda wished Narcissa would look her way, so she could offer some sign of support, of forgiveness, but Narcissa's focus was on Kingsley and the jury. Andromeda stared at her sister as prosecution evidence continued to be presented, watching Narcissa respond and hoping to catch her eye.
Two hours later, Kingsley finally came to the end of his piles of parchment. "Mrs Malfoy, this is now your chance to present a defence to the evidence I have given the court. Two witnesses have already put their names down to speak for you. I'd like to call the first witness now: Mr Harry James Potter, please come to the centre of the courtroom."
There were whispers and mutters as the Boy-Who-Lived walked down the stairs, passing to Andromeda's right as he made his way down to the bottom of the courtroom, near to the chained chair where Narcissa sat. Why in Merlin's name was he testifying in her sister's defence?
"Erm," he began, opening up a piece of parchment noisily. "I'd firstly like to point out- well, to add to what's already been said, really- Voldemort was really angry at the Malfoys for most of this war, and their lives probably were in danger. Some of you know that I had an unusual connection to Voldemort's mind from the scar where he tried to kill me. I could see some of the things he was doing, and I saw him forcing Draco Malfoy to use the Cruciatus curse on others- it was clear he was terrified, it was clear he didn't want to do it… and before that, when I was in my sixth year at Hogwarts, I found him crying. He was talking to one of the ghosts, telling her 'I can't do it, and if I don't do it soon he says he'll kill me'. It's clear Voldemort was quite willing to kill Draco at this point, and that at least he felt in fear for his life. I was also on the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore died: he'd immobilized me under the Invisibility Cloak so I- I couldn't-"
Harry hesitated, and Andromeda was somewhat surprised to find she still had the ability left to feel empathy for this boy who had seen far too much in his short life.
"I understand, Mr Potter. I don't think anyone in this courtroom doubts that you would have intervened if you could," Kingsley said gently.
"Anyway, Draco disarmed Dumbledore, and he had his wand pointed at him, but he hesitated to kill him. Dumbledore tried to persuade him to come over to the right side, and Draco thought about it, but he didn't get chance to accept. While they were talking, though, I heard Draco say 'I've got to do it or he'll kill me and my entire family.' I realise none of what I've said so far involves Mrs Malfoy directly, but I think it further confirms that Mrs Malfoy was telling the truth when she said her life was in danger."
"Thank you, Mr Potter. Was there anything else?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. Mrs Malfoy saved my life."
At this point, the whispers grew so loud that Kingsley had to rap three or four times with his gavel to regain silence.
"Voldemort tried to kill me in the Forbidden Forest but he failed. We were both knocked unconscious: when he came round he ordered Mrs Malfoy to examine me to see if I was dead. When she realized I was alive, Mrs Malfoy whispered to me… asked me if I knew if her son was alive. When I said he was, she lied to Voldemort: she told him I was dead. If she hadn't done that he'd have tried to kill me again, and I know that the second time he'd have succeeded. I don't know what would have happened: someone else might still have defeated him, but it's certainly possible that we'd all be living under Voldemort's rule now. I think it's pretty clear from that action that Mrs Malfoy's loyalties did not lie with Voldemort in the Final Battle."
Andromeda's hands clutched at her robes so tightly that her nails dug into her thighs. Her sister had lied directly to the greatest Legilimens of their time and lived? Andromeda would never have thought Narcissa would have the nerve to do something like that. Her shock was such that she didn't hear Kingsley thanking Harry, or her own name being called.
"Mrs Tonks- Mrs Tonks, are you alright?"
Andromeda's hands flew away from her robes, and she sat upright quickly, looking back at Kingsley. As she did so, she noted that Narcissa was staring at her, finally having realized she was there.
"Yes, thank you, Minister. I apologise: were you calling for my testimony?"
Kingsley nodded. "If you're ready."
Standing, Andromeda walked down the short flight of steps to the centre of the courtroom.
"Mrs Tonks, please can you tell the court why you put your name forward to testify in Mrs Malfoy's defence?"
Andromeda nodded. "I wanted the court to know about another life she saved. Her actions were more indirect than they were when she helped Mr Potter, but without them I doubt my husband would have survived."
More whispers, though they were much quieter than those that had followed Harry's testimony.
"As some of you are no doubt aware, and others may have guessed from the family resemblance, I am sister to both Mrs Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange."
The whispering sounded more malicious this time, and Kingsley tapped his gavel once again. "Silence, please."
"As many of you may also know, my husband is Muggle-born. My family disowned me because of our marriage, and Bellatrix threatened both of us, and Ted's Muggle family, on several occasions by Howler. When He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took the Ministry last year, he called for Muggle-borns to present themselves for trial. Ted would never have gone on principle, and besides it was too dangerous, so he went on the run. He hoped that doing this would protect our daughter and myself, because of our so-called 'purer' blood. My husband was reported dead on the radio programme Potterwatch five months later." Andromeda forced back the tears that blurred her vision.
"After the Final Battle, Narcissa- Mrs Malfoy- approached me to tell me to look for my husband. She told me that he'd encountered Snatchers but had escaped, and the Snatchers in question had been too frightened to report their failure to my other sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. I think everyone in this courtroom can understand their fear: Bellatrix was insane, hot-tempered and would stop at nothing to serve He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. They asked Narcissa to report to her instead, but Narcissa suggested they tell Bellatrix that they had killed Ted, even though this wasn't true. I believe Narcissa expected that Bellatrix would go after Ted in person if she knew he was still alive, and that her actions were an attempt to give him a better chance of survival."
"If you doubt that Bellatrix would have been mad enough to kill her own brother-in-law, then consider this: I had to Stun Bellatrix in the Final Battle because she was torturing, and about to kill, my daughter."
Andromeda heard Narcissa gasp from behind her, but continued with her speech. If she stopped, she knew she'd be hard pressed to avoid breaking down in tears in front of the entire Wizengamot.
"You've already heard how precarious my sister's situation with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was. Had He found out about this deception, the consequences could have been fatal for Mrs Malfoy. But she did it anyway." Andromeda allowed herself, then, to turn to her sister and look her in the eyes. "Thank you."
"Please try not to speak to the defendant, Mrs Tonks. Is that everything?"
Andromeda nodded, and made her way back to her seat. Narcissa's speech in her own defence was very brief, and Kingsley was soon addressing the jury.
"You must now decide whether the mitigating circumstances Mrs Malfoy has described are enough to justify her actions, or whether she is truly guilty of committing these crimes and deserves punishment. All those in favour of conviction?"
Andromeda's eyes scanned desperately over the raised hands, counting. It looked close to half, so Andromeda wasn't certain for a few moments. Even when she thought she was, she held her sigh of relief in until she heard Kingsley speak.
"Mrs Malfoy, this court finds you not guilty of the charges that have been brought against you."
At the words 'not guilty', the chains binding Narcissa to the chair unraveled and slunk back into the arms. Andromeda sighed heavily, her shoulders finally dropping. She hadn't noticed how tense they were.
"You are free to go."