A/N: Whew, sorry this chapter's a bit later than usual, I've been swamped with work! Anyhow, I don't feel that this is one of my best chapters to date but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Also, my story Family Ties: Left Holding the Baby has been nominated for Favourite Long Multi-Chaptered Story in The Harry Potter Awards, which are run by Lady Arianne of Ambers Valley. If you would be so kind as to please please pretty please with a virtual cookie on top vote for me, I would be utmost gratefuly to you all faithful readers and reviewers. Now, on with the story!

***

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Power the Dark Lord

Knows Not

Albus was in the changing rooms next to the Quidditch pitch, pulling on his robes after a two-hour practice that evening, when he heard the low gossip amongst the older students.

It had been two weeks since Esmeralda had accused Scorpius of bullying her – a total lie – but since then, her jeers and taunts had backed down a fair bit. She was no longer tripping Scorpius up in corridors, or deliberately banging into him in classrooms. She no longer called him such dreadful names. She even left remarks about his family to herself.

"Did you see the Evening Prophet today?" one girl – he couldn't remember her name, but Albus was sure she was one of the Chasers on the team – said in a low voice to someone Albus couldn't see. They were hidden away from him, around the corner, nearer the showers.

"Yeah, I did. Front page as well...." replied one of the boys.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" another girl interjected.

"You'd think....that that kind of thing had stopped now, you know, what with You-Know-Who gone. Most of the Death Eater are still in Azkaban" the first girl spoke again, whom Albus now recognised as Melissa Sloper – one of the new members of the team.

"Yeah, but did you see who the Ministry reckon done it, though? I mean...who else could it be?" the boy answered. Albus' heart raced, and he leaned further in their direction, straining his ears as best as he could.

"I don't know, Melissa. My mum works in his department...Law Enforcement, that is...and she says he's a perfectly decent bloke. Works hard. Good boss. She said that you would almost think he never had all that horrible stuff in his past..." said the boy.

And Albus had to swallow convulsively when he realised who they must have been talking about. Hadn't Scorpius said that his father was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? But that meant...they were talking about him. Albus could hardly believe his ears. He didn't know what Draco Malfoy had done or was supposed to have done, but he could hardly mistake the tone in his teammates' voices. Whatever it was, it must be bad – and it was all over the front page of the Evening Prophet.

With a desperate madness, Albus tied his shoelaces quickly and didn't bother to fasten the front of his robes. Grabbing his Quidditch robes from the bench and abandoning all attempt to do something with his permanently untidy hair, he marched from the room, his heart pounding. He had to find out what it was that they had been talking about, and he had to find out before Scorpius did. Or, even better, he had to find out before there would be any chance that Esmeralda had taken it upon herself to spread the story around.

When he reached the enormous double doors at the entrance of the castle, he almost ran into Professor McGonagall, who looked as if she was on the way to the Owlery; she had a letter clutched in one wrinkled hand.

"Be careful of where you're going, Mr. Potter" she sighed, though her tone was slightly pointed.

"Sorry, Professor. I just need to get somewhere – quickly" Albus huffed, stepping past her into the Entrance Hall. He needed to find Rose first and figure out what this was all about. Then he could find Scorpius. Racing up the staircase two steps at a time, he let his mind wander freely. What could have been so bad that Scorpius' father had been accused of? From what he'd overheard, it was something to do with the Death Eaters, and Albus knew that Scorpius' father was an ex-Death Eater.

It's horrible, isn't it?

The phrase echoed in Albus' mind. What was so horrible?

"Albus! Have you seen...I mean, did you read....Slytherins.....?" It was Rose. White-faced apart from the alarmingly pink spots on her cheeks, she stared at him anxiously.

"You mean the Evening Prophet?" Albus replied. "No, I haven't. Do you know what's going on?" Rose shook her head.

"It's all over the school...I've only heard bits of it...mostly from the Slytherins...Al, there's been an attack!" Rose exclaimed worriedly.

"What? Where? But – aren't the Death Eaters supposed to be in Azkaban? Dad caught quite a few of them himself, he told me. You-you don't think there's been a breakout, do you?" Albus suddenly gasped, feeling as if he'd just swallowed an ice cube.

An Azkaban breakout was one of the worst things he could ever imagine happening. People like that, free on the streets of wizard Britain...he shuddered visibly at the thought.

"No, there hasn't been a breakout. That's why it's such headline news, probably. From what I heard, someone broke into a Muggle-born family's house this morning and-and cursed them!" Rose said unhappily.

Albus' eyes bulged in their sockets. An attack? These things never happened nowadays! You got the odd Muggle-baiting case, a home robbery, a threatening letter, but nothing as serious as a real attack. And to think, people thought the wizarding world was finally safe with Lord Voldemort gone!

"You're not serious?" he choked incredulously. But the severity of Rose's expression told him she was serious – very serious.

"Yes, but that's not the worst part" Rose said. Albus groaned.

"What could be worse?" he replied.

"The Ministry think Scorpius' dad is behind the attack" she said, in a strained voice.

***

By the following morning, most of the school was avidly discussing the Death Eater attack – and more importantly, the rumour that Scorpius' father was behind it. Scorpius himself was having to endure dirty looks, acidic glares, and whispered comments from wherever he went from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws; and celebratory whoops and words of praise from the Slytherins, who were safe now in the fact that the Malfoys weren't 'blood traitors' at all. To cap it off, Professor Winters was now greeting Scorpius with a nasty, knowing smirk every time their paths crossed, and once, on their way to Charms, Albus could have sworn he'd heard her hiss gleefully, "Justice at last".

And, to make matters even worse, that night's Evening Prophet announced that Mr. Malfoy had been arrested and suspended from work for a fortnight without pay 'whilst investigations into the matter are being undertaken'.

"This isn't fair. So what if Scorpius' dad used to be a Death Eater? That was twenty years ago. Twenty years! Where's the democracy in that? There's no solid proof he did anything at all!" Rose raged in the Common Room that evening, throwing aside The Novice Potioneer and venting her feelings by aiming a hefty kick at the overstuffed armchair nearby.

"You know what?" said Albus pensively from where he sat, cross-legged, in front of the fire trying to patch up his rather battered copy of Hogwarts: A Modern History (Roxanne's cat, Maisy, had got to it in the middle of the night) with Spellotape, "Molly's right. I think you do have a thing for Scorpius". He grinned innocently, and then ducked when Rose threw The Novice Potioneer at his head.

"Albus! This is a really serious matter! If he's found guilty, he'll lose his job....and he'll end up in Azkaban!" she wailed furiously. But she couldn't hide the fact that her cheeks were salmon pink, and not from the heat of the fire, either.

***

"Oh, bum!" Molly cursed loudly, kicking the bench and sucking on her thumb madly. Albus, Molly, Rose and Scorpius were in Potions and were supposed to be brewing a Sleeping Draught. Molly had cut her thumb whilst trying to shred willow leaves and was now nursing her injured hand mournfully.

"At least your dad's not in Ministry custody" Scorpius muttered sadly, looking at the floor. Albus sighed.

Ever since the news had got out that Mr. Malfoy had been arrested, he had been even more withdrawn and shy than he usually was. Nevertheless, the people closest to him who believed his father to be innocent had offered their ongoing support.

Lysander Scamander, whom they had bumped into coming out of the greenhouses one day, told Scorpius that he strongly believed his father to be innocent and that the Wrackspurt that had befuddled the members of the Wizengamot would leave and they would realised that they had made a mistake. Scorpius took this rather strange advice as a bizarre source of comfort and felt a little better after that.

"Come on, Scorpius" Rose said soothingly, taking his own willow leaves from him and shredding them herself before plopping them into his cauldron, "Kingsley – the Minister for Magic – and my parents and Uncle Harry all know that he's innocent. He'll get out, don't you worry" She smiled, now turning up the heat under his cauldron and adding a few splashes of Venomous Tentacula juice.

"Thanks" Scorpius replied quietly, a little of the colour returning to his pale face.

Albus and Molly caught each other's gaze and exchanged a knowing look; Albus had a mad desire to laugh. Somehow, the idea of Scorpius having a little crush on his cousin wasn't as horrible as he'd previously imagined. It was...sweet. And Rose and Scorpius were very alike. I don't suppose Uncle Ron would have quite the same approach Albus thought, smiling to himself as he stirred the now blue-black potion in his cauldron.

At the end of the lesson, Professor Slughorn called Scorpius over to his desk. To be polite, Albus, Rose and Molly waited outside the classroom door until he was ready.

"D'you really think Scorpius' dad's going to get released?" Molly asked in a low voice.

"Yes" Rose said confidently. "If they follow their own laws, then there's no reason for them to find him guilty if there's evidence showing that he's innocent – which I strongly believe he is. You heard Scorpius; the War had a really bad effect on his dad. Why would he go back to that kind of thing if it affected him so badly?" She explained.

"True" Albus had to agree.

Just then, Scorpius emerged, looking a little happier than he had done for several days. On their way to the Great Hall for lunch, Scorpius told them what Professor Slughorn had said.

"He just said that whatever happens – not that anything does happen, I hope it doesn't – the school would support me. That was it really, but it was nice of him all the same. I think Professor McGonagall put him up to it though, she must've had a word with him" he explained.

"So...have you heard from your mum or anyone about all of this?" Albus asked. "I mean, she must have written to you....?" Scorpius nodded.

"Yeah, she's keeping me updated on- on how things are going. She says that half the Ministry's against dad at the moment, even though the people in his department insist he's done nothing wrong. Your dad's name came up, though, Albus – apparently there was a lot of, er, controversy about the fact that your dad defended mine in a press conference a few days ago" Scorpius said.

A press conference? Albus hadn't heard anything about it. At the very least he'd thought his parents would write...but, he supposed, the whole mess was a bit of a struggle for the Ministry itself, and maybe they hadn't had time. But still...

"Hang on, I've just thought of something!" Rose exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "The newspaper article – I got it off Lysander after he finished doing the crossword puzzles – said that your dad was arrested after an anonymous tip off, right? The Ministry must have heard the accusation from somewhere; they didn't just decide to arrest someone with no criminal record for twenty years over something they most probably didn't even do!"

"What are you saying?" Scorpius asked, as confused as Molly seemed to be. Only Albus thought he knew where Rose's train of thought was going.

"I'm saying, whoever sent the anonymous tip off to the Ministry was obviously trying to set your dad up!" she exclaimed, waving her arms around wildly.

"I mean, think about it." She carried on, now in full swing, "An attack on Muggle-borns happens, and an anonymous tip off is sent to the Ministry telling them that the person who did it is someone who has no criminal record, no recent record of any kind of anti-Muggle attacks or protests, and no appearance whatsoever of being a Pureblood supremacist. Isn't that just a bit odd to you? Why bother telling the Ministry that the person who did it is one of the least likely people do actually have done it?"

"I'm confused" Molly muttered. Rose gave her one of her rare, manic glares – the look that Albus had come to associate with impatience when someone did not understand a point she was making.

"The point is" Rose said with a pointed look at Molly, "that someone has framed Scorpius' dad for this. I can't believe I never noticed it before! Doesn't anyone else see it?" She looked around at the three of them, her eyes wide. Her eyes bulged.

"I need to go to the library. You lot go on and get some lunch. I'll catch up with you in a little while" Rose said quickly, and rushed off in the opposite direction.

Albus' insides, meanwhile, were boiling with rage. He knew exactly who would have framed Scorpius' father for this. Gloria Winters.

***

"But I still don't understand!" moaned Scorpius, putting his head in his hands. He had received a letter from his mother that evening, telling him that his father was expected to attend full criminal trial in three weeks – on October thirty-first, Halloween. She wasn't even allowed to see him until then in case of possible influence or corruption. Albus thought that this was completely unfair. Why should a wife be banned from seeing her husband at all?

"Why my family? Why me? Yes, Winters is angry because my family were Death Eaters and they didn't go to Azkaban. But there are more than just my family who were released, aren't there? And anyway, loads of people are angry about them getting released; it's just the way things are. But why – if she did frame my dad – did she just target my family? Why not any other Death Eaters?" Scorpius explained.

"And-and this trial!" Rose said, exasperated. "It's like they've already decided he's guilty!" Scorpius moaned again.

"Don't say that, don't say that!" he replied, shaking his head. But his eyes said it all. He was worried. He didn't want his dad to go to Azkaban for something he did not do. Albus himself was forcibly reminded of Sirius Black, his father's godfather and one of James' namesakes. He had endured twelve years in the ominous wizarding prison for something he hadn't done, and that alone had changed him completely. He hadn't been the same person, Albus' father had said, when he'd finally broken out of the Dementor-guarded gaol. Was Scorpius' father destined for the same fate?

"But don't you see?" Molly said, an excitement in her dark brown eyes that did not match the severity of the mood. "If we can prove Winters framed your dad – and we have a lot of evidence to back ourselves up – then Professor McGonagall will have to believe us if we go to her and say she's got it in for you!"

"Yes, but we don't know why" Albus pressed. "We only know that, for some reason, she's trying to do in the Malfoys. We know that much. But we don't know why she's acting like this. I mean, Scorpius, you said it yourself – why just target them when there are plenty more actual Pro-Voldemort activists in the world she could have ago at instead of cleared, respected ex-Death Eaters who have had no connection to Dark activity whatsoever in the last two decades!"

Rose sat back thoughtfully, leaning her back against the trunk of the ash tree they were sitting under. It was a warm day for early October, and for once there had been no rain. Molly sucked on the end of her quill. Scorpius continued to stare down at the grass, playing with random strands of it, trying to occupy his mind elsewhere. It fell silent between the four friends for a while, each lost in his or her own thoughts. How can we prove Scorpius' dad's been framed, though? Thought Albus. Unless we investigate Winters herself, we've got no proof except assumptions. And those probably will be discounted anyway because we don't like her. It'll be like corrupt evidence in a Muggle crime case, those programs that Uncle Percy likes to watch. Who'll believe us, anyway? We're just a bunch of twelve year olds.

Albus huffed. He wasn't getting any answers, just more and more questions. He thought he knew how his own father must have felt when no one would answer his questions when he asked about his past, his family. Only this was Scorpius' past, and Scorpius' family, that was the centre of all the worry. If his dad went to prison, then everything Mr. Malfoy had worked so hard for – regaining respect, dignity, trust – will have gone to waste. And that didn't seem fair. Not fair at all. Could there be any other way they could possibly help?

And Albus remembered something his Uncle Bill had once told him, when Albus had asked how he'd got the scars that were a permanent web etched onto his face. Al, sometimes you've got to stand up for what you believe in. These scars? They're nothing compared to what could have happened if I hadn't been part of the fight that gave me them. It's a sacrifice, in a way, to stop more people getting hurt. You've got to make sure the Light side wins over the Dark, and I'm not just talking about blood status here. You've got to make sure that justice and equality and fairness come before anything else. Make sure you remember that.

Justice and fairness. Some things are easier said than done. But hadn't it worked for his parents, his aunts and uncles? Yes, Uncle George only had one ear. Yes, Uncle Bill was badly scarred. Yes, Aunt Hermione still got flu every winter because of a curse used against her which damaged her lungs and airways. But wasn't it all worth it – no, that was the wrong word – wasn't it something minor compared to all the hundreds of thousands of people that could have lost their lives had they not stood and fought? And, suddenly, Albus knew what he – they – had to do.

"Scorpius?" he said. He looked up at Albus. "Did you plan on going to your dad's trial yourself?"

"Um...no. I don't think he'd want me there, actually. You know, to see something like that" Scorpius said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Was he thinking the same as Albus?

"Would you be willing to drink Veritaserum?" Albus asked. Scorpius, Molly and Rose looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Molly said. Albus smiled brightly.

"The only way we can prove Scorpius' dad is innocent – and that Gloria Winters is trying to do him in – is if we tell them ourselves" Albus explained. "It's all about standing up for what you believe in, isn't it? I mean, the War ended twenty years ago. People are still being prejudiced about family and blood and whatever else, but Scorpius' dad is a perfect example of someone whose overcome that and made better of themselves. Isn't that the whole point of moving on? That we give people a chance?"

Albus looked around at his three friends. Scorpius' eyes were alight with hope. Dare Albus suggest his idea?

"I say that we – all of us – witness for Scorpius' dad at the trial and prove he's innocent. It's all about justice and fairness, right? But the Wizengamot are being unfair if they don't listen to anyone who says he's not guilty" Albus suggested. Rose and Molly's mouths dropped open. Scorpius' smile was so big it split his face in half.

"Really? You'd do that for me? For my dad?" Scorpius gasped.

"Not just your dad. For anyone else who was accused of something they didn't do. It's only fair. We're friends, aren't we? That's what friends do. They look out for each other" Albus said simply.

"Are you sure? I mean, d'you think they'll let us, Al?" Rose said.

"They'll have to, won't they? We can talk to McGonagall, she'll get us out of lessons for the day. My dad's probably going to the trial himself to testify anyway, and I bet you Gloria Winters will be there too. So what do you say?" Albus looked at his friends. It was a huge thing to do – but he was sure it would be worth it.

"Okay" Molly said.

"Dad probably won't like that I'm defending a Malfoy, but this is important. I'll do it!" Rose replied.

"Thanks" Scorpius said, the smile unmoving from his pale face. "Dad will be – um – surprised. And pleased, I hope. Thanks."

The grey clouds overhead broke apart, and the sun shone brightly, glittering off the surface of the Black Lake, illuminating the trees and grounds. Scorpius clearly adored his father, just as Albus adored his own father. If he were in the same position, he'd want to help, too. It was the right thing to do.

What was it that Albus' dad had once told him? In the end, it doesn't really come down to bravery and chivalry and all that. What the Dark side, what the bad people really need, is love, because it's something they can't understand. Voldemort himself didn't understand what it meant to love someone, romantically or otherwise, and that was his biggest weakness, Professor Dumbledore told me when I wasn't much older than you. It all comes down to love, because it's the one thing people like Voldemort don't know enough about.

A/N: Well, did you like it? Hate it? Love it? On the fence about it? Whatever, JUST REVIEW IT OR A KITTEN WILL DIE! I'm joking, no kittens will die or be harmed in any way at all. But please review. Your feedback is very important, and I want to know what I'm doing right/wrong with this story! Not one of my best plotlines, I'll admit, but I'm doing my best with it. Book four is where it really kicks off, but I won't say no more here.

HPfangirl4life xxx