A/N: So here is the first part of the trials. It may be a bit slow but I felt it important to include it as it will explain the reason why Draco and Hermione act the way they do later on in the story. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Enjoy and please REVIEW!

Chapter 20

Trial Day One

Draco woke up in a frantic state. Today was the first day of the trials. Aurors would be coming to take some of the students and professors to the Ministry as they would need to be presents for the trials. He sat up in bed and crossed over to the old desk in the room that had 3 suits laid upon it. Draco's mother had picked up 3 suits from his room along with 3 pairs of dress shoes. Himself, Blaise, and Theo would need to attend the trials and needed to look presentable.

Draco felt someone next to him and turned to see Blaise and Theo also staring down at the suits.

"Nervous?" Blaise asked quietly. Draco and Theo could only nod back. Blaise felt terrible and didn't know what to do. His two best friends were being tried as Death Eaters and he was going there to support them in their time of need. At almost the same second, each boy picked up their suit and began to dress quietly, lost in their own thoughts.

'Hermione, you need to eat something." Harry said softly, staring at his friend with concern.

"I'm not hungry." She said.

"C'mon, 'Mione. We have a full day ahead of us, and who knows when we're going to be able to have lunch. At least have a bit of toast." Ginny said, taking a piece and placing it gently on Hermione's plate.

She sighed loudly but gave in, nibbling on the toast silently. She was too caught up in everything that had happened in the past week or so that she barely noticed the people around her. This upcoming weekend were the trials and she was terrified. She knew Harry, Ron, and she were supposed to testify, but she wasn't sure whom she wanted to do this for. It was going to be a long day, and an even longer weekend.

Aurors arrived at exactly ten-o-clock that morning, first taking students along to the ministry. The wards around the castle had been temporarily modified to allow only aurors the ability to apparate and disapparate inside the castle; nobody else would be able to. Once the students were taken care of, it was time for the professors. After them, it was her turn. Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Luna were guided into the entrance hall. They were soon joined by a few more aurors, and behind them were Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. Before she could even register why the first there were there, she was being whisked away to the Ministry of Magic.

She arrived with her friends by her side in a rather large office, minus 4 Slytherins. Waiting inside for them was the current Minister, Head Auror and Order of the Phoenix member, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He smiled at each of them and motioned for them to take a seat in one of the scattered armchairs that lay about the room. They all sat quietly and waited for him to speak.

"Welcome, all of you. I assure you know why you are here." He looked around at all of them and they each nodded. "Good. Now, I don't expect all of you to be present at every trial, unless it has specifically to do with you. However, as for you three," he said looking at the Golden Trio. "I know I said that only Harry would need to be present, but I suspect that it would be more beneficial if all three of you attended. So, with that said, here are your packets consisting of all Death Eaters and their crimes. Please look over them carefully and if there is someone you wish to testify against or defend, please let me know. You have two hours."

With that, Kingsley left the six teens in his office. It was so silent that they could hear each other's heartbeat. The true reality of the war had finally hit them as they all looked at the names in their packets. Hermione was very happy to see that some names and pictures had the word "DECEASED" written across the page in big, bold, red letters. All deceased Death Eaters were listed first and read as follows: Regulus Black, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, Gibbon, Igor Karkaroff, Bellatrix Lestrange, Peter Pettigrew, Evan Rosier. Severus Snape, Wilkes, and Yaxley.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "It looks like they even threw in all of the old Death Eaters. What do you think that means?"

"Do you think they are going to try them for all of their past crimes?" Neville asked.

"The only thing Kingsley told me was that they were trying all those that participated in the Battle and ever since it ended, they've had a team of aurors out looking for any that fled. Thankfully they managed to catch everyone." Harry answered. The boys continued to talk but Hermione wasn't paying any attention. She couldn't move her eyes off of the picture of a cackling Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You okay, Hermione?" Ginny asked softly.

"What?" She stuttered. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"It's all going to be fine. At least she's gone." Luna chimed in.

"I know. I just wish she could've paid for what she did." Hermione sighed, rubbing her left arm. Her wound had healed, but unfortunately left a scar, as expected. She continued flipping through the packet noticing that the trials would be lasting for 3 days.

"Surely they can't expect us to travel between the Ministry and Hogwarts this entire weekend?" Hermione asked.

"They don't." Ron answered. The entire room got quiet again. It was the first time that Ron and Hermione were in the same room together in days. "We'll be staying at the Burrow. Mum says that you're more than welcome to stay there as well."

"Oh," she said. "Thanks."

"Don't worry," Ginny said. "You'll be staying in my room." Then she whispered so only Hermione could hear, "I still don't know what happened between the two of you, but I just thought that you should know that the twins, Bill, and even Charlie still aren't speaking to him. Even mum and dad are a bit distant with him." Hermione couldn't help but smile. The Weasley's really were like a second family to her and he couldn't be more thankful.

She looked at the people that would be up on the stands that day: Avery, Mulciber, Thorfinn Rowle, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Selwyn, and Travers. She didn't know any, but she knew by looking at their crimes that Neville, Luna, and Ginny would definitely need to testify. She also knew from Harry that the Carrows were on the Astronomy tower the same night that Draco tried to kill Dumbledore. She couldn't get that blond out of her head and she couldn't help but think of what he was going through.

Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy were sitting in a room similar to the other teens and were also looking through the packet, except Draco couldn't stop staring at one picture… and it was his own. He felt the bile rise in his throat and quickly rushed to the trashcan. It was the third time that he emptied his stomach that day. He casted a quick scourgify on his mouth before sitting back down.

"Don't worry, mate." Blaise said. "You have us to back you up."

"Yeah… right." Draco answered softly. He had the word of his best friend Blaise, an accused Death Eater, and the daughter of a known Death Eater. Then he thought back to what Kingsley had spoken to him about. He looked at the names of the people being tried later that day and knew what his decision was going to be. He was going to take Kingsley's offer.

"Are you all ready?" Harry asked, taking Ginny's hand. The aurors had just arrived to escort them down to the courtroom. They nodded their heads in the affirmative as they stepped into the lift.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione whispered, only loud enough for him to hear. They were going down to the courtrooms on the floor of the Department of Mysteries. They hadn't been down there since their fifth year, when Sirius had died. Harry had gotten a far away look on his face, no doubt thinking about his godfather. He nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah," he whispered back, "I'll be alright."

"Department of Mysteries." Said the cool female voice that they had all heard before.

They all hurried out of the lift and followed after the aurors down the dimly lit, windowless corridor. Ahead of them was the plain black door that they had passed through 2 years ago. They all shuddered at the memories and proceeded to turn left towards the courtrooms.

"Right down here you six, courtroom ten." Said one of the aurors.

"Of course." Harry mumbled. "Of all of the other courtrooms it has to be this one?" They all laughed, as this had been the same courtroom Harry had been brought to after Dementors attacked him and his cousin in fifth year.

"All together then?" Neville asked and they all stepped forward. The doors opened and they entered the courtroom. It was exactly how Harry remembered it. Dark stone walls were lined with torches; the room was dimly lit, although a bit brighter than the corridor outside. There were benches on either side of them and in front of the empty chair, with chains upon it, sat Kingsley with the rest of the Wizengamot. They were led up the benches to sit on the left side of Kingsley so as witnesses they could easily view those accused and give statements. Harry slipped in the row first, followed by Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and lastly Ron.

Hermione looked around to the other side of Kingsley only to see the four Slytherins that they had left the castle with. "What is Malfoy doing here as a witness? He should be in a holding cell." She thought. Looking around at the members of the Wizengamot, Hermione noticed that a lot of them were giving Malfoy the same look. She was drawn out of her thoughts as the doors opened and the aurors dragged in the first Death Eater on trial. They sat him in the chair and the chains immediately sprang up to wrap around his wrists and ankles.

"On today, the fifteenth of May, we will review the offences committed by Thorfinn Rowle in the case of assaulting multiple members before or during the Battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taking place on the second of May…" Kingsley started. Witnesses made their claims and the Wizengamot stated whether the accused was innocent or guilty and then Kingsley decided on an appropriate sentence for them.

Thorfinn Rowle, Avery, and Mulciber all got sentenced to 8 years in Azkaban prison for assaulting the people of Hogwarts and participating in the Battle. There was a short lunch break and then the trials continued with Selwyn Travers being convicted of assault on the people of Hogwarts and the torture of Xenophilius Lovegood. Luna was a prime witness to this and bravely provided her statements against them and they were sentenced to 14 years in Azkaban. Next, Alecto and Amycus Carrow were brought in together, as everything they had been accused of had been together. They were convicted of assaulting people in Hogwarts and torturing the students of Hogwarts through out the school year, all of them being underage. Luna, Neville, Ginny, and surprisingly all 4 of the Slytherins testified to these claims. The most surprising thing though was when Draco abruptly sat up from his seat next to Kingsley.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Malfoy?" Kingsley asked calmly.

"I have one more crime for them to be convicted of." He said looking at the minister, then to a confused looking Harry, and back to the minister. Then he turned his body towards the Wizengamot and said, "Alecto and Amycus Carrow were present on the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts School the night that Albus Dumbledore was murdered by Severus Snape. They also participated in duels between students and the Order of the Phoenix members that night." When he was done, he sat back down and looked at the wall expressionless. There were whispers among the crowd.

"Very well." Kingsley boomed. "Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow, you are hereby sentenced to 17 years confinement in Azkaban prison."

"But the young Malfoy is a Death Eater too!" yelled Amycus.

"Why is he not down here? Afraid of going to Azkaban? At least you'll be with your dear daddy-" Alecto began, but was cut short as the aurors casted silencing and binding charms on the prisoners, leading them out of the courtroom. Malfoy's face remained expressionless, but his eyes told a different story. There was rage and sadness, but it would not do to dwell on the decoding of Draco Malfoy's emotions.

"I hereby call the end of Death Eater trials day 1 complete!" Kingsley called, and people began to exit the courtroom. Before the six friends could ask Malfoy what that was, he was already being rushed out by Blaise and Theo, a nervous looking Pansy trailing behind them.

After having a quick talk with Kingsley about the next two days, Neville flooed to his grandmother's house, Luna home to her father, and the remaining four to the Burrow. Molly had dinner already on the table and they joined the rest of the Weasley's to eat. Not one word was mentioned about the trials, and for that they were glad. That night, as they each climbed up the stairs to their shared rooms, they replayed the day's events, but most importantly asked themselves what Draco Malfoy was doing. They drifted to sleep on those thoughts, dreading the next day. It would be the longest and most nerve-wracking one for all of them.

A/N: Thanks for reading guys! I'll try to update as soon as I can although this weekend is a bit busy with registering for classes, a dentist appointment, and a date but I'll try to write as much as I can and update sometime next week. Thank you for the continued support through reviews, follows, and favorites. It really motivates me to keep writing.

Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and what you would like to see happen at the other trials. We still have the Malfoys to put up on the stand. What do you think will happen to them? REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!

Song for this chapter is: "Come Away to the Water" by: Maroon 5

If you have any suggestions for songs I should listen to or that you think can relate to any part of the story or wish me to use as a chapter title you can PM me or tweet it to me XOToriLynnXO

Thank you, much love!

~ToriLynn