Three Months Later.

VERDICT DUE IN WEASLEY TRIAL.

The verdict in the trial of Ronald Weasley is due to be delivered today. Mr Weasley, 22, is accused of attacking and tampering with the memory of an Auror, Draco Malfoy, also 22. Mr Malfoy spent a month in a coma following the violent attack and had no memory of the last six years of his life for several weeks.

Eventually the result of Mr Malfoy's memory loss was revealed to be caused by a rare memory spell originating in Romania, a country in which Mr Weasley's elder brother works in. Mr Malfoy and his wife had to travel to Romania to find the cure for Mr Malfoy's memory loss, at great inconvenience and expense, as the cure is available nowhere else in the world.

For the last three weeks, inside the courtroom, both sides have presented their arguments. The evidence against Mr Weasley is extremely compelling, leaving little doubt over the accused's innocence. The defendant doesn't even have an alibi for the night in question, he claims he was alone at his house with no one to back up his flimsy story. Another bonus for the prosecution is the fact that Mr Weasley's oldest friend, Harry Potter, has collected the evidence against him and has even testified against his friend.

Another of Mr Weasley's friends has also testified against him, Hermione Malfoy, formerly Granger. Mrs Malfoy told the court how she had worked out what had happened to her husband when the healer's had failed to diagnose the real reason for Mr Malfoy's amnesia.

Any chance of an innocent verdict was all but destroyed by the defendant himself when he took the stand a week ago. While Mr Weasley has always protested his innocence he went a step further while giving evidence, he declared he was being set up. He then went on to argue he was being set up by Mr Malfoy himself and the whole incident and subsequent memory loss was a stunt initiated by the blond to discredit him in Mr Malfoy's wife's eyes.

While trying to protest his innocence all Mr Weasley did was turn the entire courtroom against him by trying to attach the blame to the victim of this terrible crime. There was outrage in court as Mr Weasley voiced his theory and Mr Lucius Malfoy had to be physically restrained when his son was accused of faking his attack.

In the last few days even Mr Weasley's family seemed to have accepted his guilt. When he was first arrested his parents Mr Arthur Weasley and his wife, Molly, were convinced of their son's innocence. But recently have said their son must face up to whatever crimes he has committed. And when questioned recently Mr and Mrs Weasley said they bear no ill will towards Harry Potter, who arrested their son, or the Malfoy's who have testified against him.

While no one involved directly in the trial will comment publically on the verdict, all the whispers around the court suggest a guilty verdict is expected by both the prosecutors and the defending council who are representing Mr Weasley. So it seems that this time tomorrow Azkaban prison will play host to its newest prisoner, former Gryffindor war hero and best friend to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley.

Draco put down the paper and sighed, Weasley's arrest and trial had been making headlines for the last three months. The papers had been revelling in the fact that Harry had been instrumental in finding the evidence that linked Ron with the crime. The story was perfect gossip, the spurned man trying to get rid of the competition so he could finally have the woman he loved.

Draco looked about the room he was in, they were all waiting for the verdict in Weasley's trial. Hermione was sitting beside him, his parents were talking quietly over the other side of the room and his best friend, Blaise was listening to Luna explain one of her wacky theories on nargles or some such nonsense. Harry had been in the room with his fiancée but a few minutes ago he had gone to find out if the verdict was close to been reached.

Sitting waiting Draco contemplated the last three months, starting with the night in Romania when he regained his memories. Draco had expected his memories to return one at a time, but shortly after taking the eighth dose of the potion, suddenly he knew he remembered everything. It was like someone had flipped a switch in his mind and all his old memories were still where they had always been, it was like they had remained in his head only he had no longer had access to them for the past few weeks. Without having to think about it he knew the first time he had kissed Hermione, he knew how long he had been planning on proposing before he finally worked up the courage to do so and he knew everything about his career as an Auror and his surprisingly solid friendship with Harry.

The day after returning from Romania, Draco and Hermione started to deal with the aftermath of Draco's attack and Ron's subsequent arrest, surprisingly The Weasley family hadn't held Harry personally responsible for their youngest son's arrest. Despite their understanding towards him and the position he had been put in, Harry found himself spending less and less time with the family he had considered his own, his guilt was too much to bear when he was in their presence.

One relationship that was destroyed in the aftermath of Ron's arrest was his best friend's, Blaise Zabini's with Ginny Weasley. Ginny stood by her brother which Blaise understood and respected, but when she told him he couldn't support Draco and be in a relationship with her, he reluctantly broke things off with the redhead. Draco was his best friend and the victim in this horrible mess and Blaise had no intention of abandoning his friend. Draco was incredibly touched that his friend had stood by him and had chosen him over his girlfriend, but Blaise had explained that if Ginny had truly loved him she wouldn't have made him choose, she would have respected his need to support Draco just like he had respected her need to support her brother.

Like Harry, Hermione's relationship with The Weasley's suffered. While the family didn't blame either her or Draco for what had happened they found it difficult to cope around the couple, thinking their relationship was the catalyst for Ron's predicament. Draco knew his wife was finding it difficult to be estranged from her surrogate family, despite the façade the maintained that it didn't bother her.

When Lucius and Narcissa found out about what had happened, the day after Draco and Hermione's trip to Romania, Lucius had been furious and it had taken all three members of the family to convince him not to do anything rash and to let justice be served. After realising he couldn't take his anger out on Weasley, Lucius focused on St. Mungo's and the healer that had failed to detect that Draco's amnesia was a result of a spell. Draco ordered his father not to take any action as both healers were going to testify in Weasley's trial and their evidence could prove vital.

While Draco could dwell on everything bad that had happened over the last few months he could also focus on the good. Harry and Luna had finally set a date for their wedding, Christmas Eve. And the best news for him personally was that Hermione was eight weeks pregnant. Thinking of their unborn baby, Draco couldn't help but gently caress Hermione's still flat stomach.

Harry re-entering the room, a serious look on his face, drew Draco's attention away from his pregnant wife.

"The verdict's in." Harry said, informing the occupants inside the room of the latest development.

Draco stood and helped Hermione up and together with his parents, Blaise, Luna and Harry they made their way to the courtroom. As they were entering the room and taking their seats, Draco noticed both Hermione and Harry watching the Weasley family sadly.

Draco took hold of Hermione's hand as the room filled up, plenty of people were sitting in the spectator part of the court room eager to see the fate of one third of the golden trio that defeated Voldemort. The room also played host to a large group of reporters, eager to record the final part in the drama that had been played out over the last three weeks in court.

Once everyone was settled and the room was silent The Minister of Magic Kingsley Shackelbolt, who had been presiding over Ron's trial, and the rest of the Wizengamot filed into the room and took their seats.

Standing up Kingsley addressed the court. "After careful deliberation of all the evidence, we find Ronald Weasley guilty of all charges."

"NO." Ron shouted, standing up from his seat and being restrained by the two Aurors who were positioned on either side of him.

Draco looked over at the Weasley family, Molly was crying on Arthur's shoulder while the rest of their family looked upset even though they had fully expected the guilty verdict.

"The sentence for these crimes is five years in Azkaban." Kingsley continued when the noise had finally settled down. "Take him away."

As the Auror's started to take Ron away, a loud shout from the back of the courtroom halted proceedings.

"No, he didn't do it. I did."