Hi guys! Still loving the reviews (keep them coming :) ) I am now very happy to say, I now, finally, have a ending worked out for this (Yay! ) as I have been quite literally making this up as I go along. Thanks again to my betas! Please enjoy and review! :)
Disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING! That still remains the responsibility of JK Rowling.
Chapter 11.
"Harry James Potter, please will you testify?"
Harry sat for a second before realising that he had to move. He stood up and somehow without knowing it, his legs carried him towards the chair Malfoy had vacated. He sat in it and looked up at the people sitting above him, behind Shackelbolt, eagerly waiting to judge him. Harry could feel his heart racing with nerves,
"Mr Potter, where were you on the night on the 30th of June last year?"
Harry took a deep breath before answering.
"I was with Professor Dumbledore, on the search for a Horcrux."
Several gasps escaped the people sitting in the room.
"And who's Horcrux were you looking for?" Kingsley asked, looking annoyed at the people sitting behind him, for their lack of knowledge towards the war.
"Voldemort's" Harry said confidently. More whispers came from the docks.
"And what happened that night, while you were trying to find this Horcrux?"
"We went to a cave, it used to be a place that Voldemort had liked when he was younger. Professor Dumbledore thought that he had traced a Horcrux there, so we went to destroy it. We got into the cave quite easily, but then we had to get into a boat to take us to it, and the lake was filled with Inferi. They attacked us."
Harry took another deep breath before continuing.
"We got to the Horcrux, but someone had to drink the potion that was protecting it. Dumbledore insisted that he would drink it, and I had to make sure he drank, even if he was screaming with pain. It was horrible…"
Harry's eyes began to well up, just at the thought of that night.
"Dumbledore drank it all and he was hurt, really badly, and he needed water, so when I tried to get some from the lake, the Inferi attacked us and Dumbledore managed to make a ring of fire to protect us. We both got back into the boat and got out of the cave as soon as we could with the Horcrux. We decided to destroy it when we got back to Hogwarts."
"We apparated back to Hogsmeade, but we found brooms behind Madam Rosemurta's and we used them to get back to Hogwarts. I was under the invisibility cloak when we arrived, and Draco Malfoy arrived soon after. He must have seen my shadow when I nearly removed the cloak to help Dumbledore."
"So, you got there before Mr Malfoy?" Asked a curious witch wearing emerald robes sitting at the front of the docks. "Mr Malfoy said he was already there when you arrived. Who is telling the truth?"
"I am." Harry said, trying not to get angry at the witch. He knew he was not lying, but he also knew that this was the first time that these people had heard the story and they had two different versions to compare.
"Please continue Mr Potter"
"Dumbledore put a body bind hex on me before I could remove the cloak. He was trying to protect me. Malfoy started talking to Dumbledore. He disarmed him and admitted in front of Dumbledore that he was behind a series of attacks on students."
Malfoy looked down at the floor; he looked like he might break down at any second. Regardless, Harry continued
"He also said that he was ordered to kill him, even though Dumbledore offered him protection from Voldemort. But I don't know what happened to him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Professor Snape showed up, as planned, and he looked at professor Dumbledore as he said 'Serverus….please.' and then he fired the killing curse."
Many people were talking in hushed tones now; they could not contain themselves to whispers. Lots of them were looking at Malfoy in disbelief. Malfoy simply hung his head. Harry started to feel slightly sorry for him, not that he deserved it. He had brought this all down on himself.
"I know now that this event was planned. Dumbledore had planned his own death at the hands of Snape and this was all part of a larger scheme that he had worked out."
Malfoy's head snapped up at this. He looked very confused. The same expression was on the faces of many of the witches and wizards listening. Harry continued over the noise.
"Severus Snape was a double agent who was working for Dumbledore since the death of my parents."
The clamour had disappeared and turned into an interested silence.
"Dumbledore was dying. He had been badly hurt by trying to find another Horcrux, he knew he was going to die, and he also knew that Voldemort had ordered Malfoy to kill him. He asked Snape to do it so that Malfoy wouldn't become a murderer and also to help prove to Voldemort his loyalty, even though he was always on Dumbledore's side. I did not know about the plan until the battle of Hogwarts."'
"How did you find out, Mr Potter?" shouted someone from the back of the dock.
"I was there when Snape was killed. Just before he died, he gave me his memories to use in Dumbledore's pensive. I found out a lot from them." Harry glanced towards Ron and Hermione. They were smiling reassuringly at him. Draco was staring at him, his eyes wide with shock, and a single tear running down his cheek. Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for him. After all, he had been sort of forced into becoming a death eater, and he genuinely couldn't bring himself to kill Dumbledore that night.
"Is there anything else you would like to add Mr Potter?" Shackelbolt shouted over the clatter. The docks fell silent once again.
"Yes, I know why Snape did what he did. He was helping Dumbledore and also trying to help Malfoy, while working on the inside to try and bring down Voldemort. He risked a lot for so that many people would be safe. I think that we should honour his sacrifice, and not treat his memory like we are doing. He was more of a hero than most people sitting here, and I don't think that this is right."
Harry hadn't noticed that he had nearly shouted the end of that. Everyone was looking at him in silence.
"Thank you Mr Potter. The court will re convene in half an hour after a break." Shackelbolt said at last.
People began to file out of the room and Harry walked back over to Ron and Hermione.
"You did great!" Ron said smiling, "You definitely showed them who was right."
"I'm not so sure," Hermione said worryingly. "I'm pretty sure that the officials aren't going to be too thrilled by being called cowards."
"Yeah, maybe that wasn't the best idea in the world. But it needed to be said and you know it." Harry argued.
A muffled cry made all three of them turn around. Draco was still glued to his seat, now crying.
"Oh bloody hell, what has he got to be sad about?" Ron whispered, which was met by a slap on the arm from Hermione.
"Will you give me a moment?" Harry asked the other two.
"Sure," Ron replied, "But if you're going to punch him, call me back in. I want a go at him." Hermione practically dragged him out of the room.
Harry walked slowly towards Malfoy and sat down next to him.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Draco whispered.
"You hated me. I didn't think you would want to know. And you have been a definite idiot. Why on earth would you tell the papers about this? You knew that your lies would be revealed. Why put yourself through all of this?"
"I DIDN'T. MY FATHER SET UP THE INTERVIEW. I HAD NO CHOICE." Draco shouted. "I never wanted this. I wanted to forget it all. Never have to think about that night again." More tears were now flowing down his face. "I'm ruined because of this. You've revealed me as a death eater and a liar. I have no future." A giant sob escaped his mouth. Harry sat there, and had no idea what to do.
"It'll work out. Just explain your circumstances." Harry suggested.
"No, then my family is disgraced."
"Draco, your family put you in this mess in the first place. They made you become a death eater."
"No, I chose it. My choice. I regret it now, but family honour comes before everything." Draco spat.
Harry sat there awkwardly.
"Just go. You can't do anything. Tell them everything. I'm screwed anyway."
Harry didn't move.
"GO!" Malfoy shouted. Harry stood up.
"Tell them Draco; it will be for the best. Don't lie anymore, you'll just get yourself into more trouble."
"Yeah, like that is possible."
Harry turned around and left the room, feeling sorrier for Draco than he ever had before. He looked around one last time before closing the door.