Once you choose hope, anything's possible.
~Christopher Reeve
Chapter 20
The courtroom was crowded with people and soft whispers filled the room. Had it not been for the masses of people, the room would have been cold but today it was strangely warm. Men and women sat side by side, most of them fixed on the space in the middle of the room. One or two were holding rolls of parchment and quills and she suspected they were journalists for the Daily Prophet. There was hardly enough room for all the spectators to sit and Hermione shot a nervous glance at Bellatrix beside her. She had a strong dislike for crowded spaces but now her face betrayed nothing. She sat motionless in her seat, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. She was wearing a cloak but had chosen to remove her hood, exposing the unruly raven curls that fell down her shoulders and back. The prying eyes that stared her at for awhile were now gone.
The voices died out when members of the Wizengamot made their entry into the courtroom, dressed in all similar black robes and hats. None of them spoke and they found their seats in silence. The two journalist frantically began writing, occasionally looking up to see if they recognised some of the faces. Hermione's eyes rested on the only vacant seat, which she knew belonged to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. The position had once been held by the late Albus Dumbledore, though she knew it was now Kingsley Shacklebolt who held this position. He was Minister of Magic and he himself had said to the Daily Prophet they had failed to find anybody remotely close to Albus Dumbledore to take the position. He had asked the wizarding community for their own suggestions and the response that he himself, as Minister of Magic, should take the seat. And so it came to be that it was now Kingsley Shacklebolt who entered the room last. There was a sense of admiration in the room as he took his seat and hit the hammer once on the side of his desk to ask for order. He did not have to. The room was silent.
"We have gathered here today for the trials of Lucius Aeneas Malfoy and Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black" Kingsley's voice boomed and Hermione looked beside her. Bellatrix was trembling in her seat, her dark eyes now fixed on Kingsley. Her face still remained emotionless but she had clenched her fists.
"I heard they are starting with Narcissa..." Hermione leant in to her lover and her lips were mere millimetres from Bellatrix's ear. "Arthur Weasley reckons Lucius' trial will last a lot longer because they will try and backdate his actions all the way to the first Wizarding War. It is generally believed Narcissa had little to nothing to do with his actions..."
"Is Draco...?" Bellatrix voice was shaking and her charcoal eyes glistened with tears. "Is he testifying?"
"On his mother's behalf, yes. And he will testify against his father. Kingsley told me he has told the Ministry his mother made an Unbreakable Vow to Severus Snape during the time Voldemort ordered him to kill Dumbledore" Hermione answered and her hand found Bellatrix's. Her lover's skin felt cold. "Kingsley reckons it will help Narcissa..."
"You don't want it to help her, do you?" Bellatrix faced Hermione.
"Bella, let's not talk about that here. Like you, I agree that Narcissa has not done the same horrible things her husband did. And like you, I believe that the truth about your past and the Unbreakable Vow might spare her time in Azkaban..." Hermione answered but refrained from mentioning the one event she wished Narcissa would do her time for her, even though Bellatrix had reminded her the night before that Narcissa had already spent several weeks in Azkaban.
"Andy's here..." Bellatrix muttered and pointed to the other side of the courtroom. Through a side door, Andromeda and Tonks had appeared and they found a seat on a bench to the left of Kingsley. Hermione and Bellatrix were sitting directly on a bench in front of the Wizengamot, which meant they had a clear view of the prisoners when they would be brought in from the dungeons. No longer did they have the dungeon like casket in the middle of the room. Instead, there was a wooden chair chained to the ground. Straps were attached to both the armrests and the legs and Aurors were standing in a circle around the chair. Each one looked even more menacing than the one before.
"Please bring in the prisoner" Kingsley's deep voice echoed off the walls surrounding them and to their left, two Aurors opened a door. Behind it stood the tall, slim figure of Narcissa Malfoy, accompanied by two more Aurors. Their wands were aimed at her chest. She was no longer dressed in her Azkaban rags and was instead dressed in a plain black dress. The blonde streaks in her hair were an even sharper feature now and Hermione gasped now that she was once again confronted with Narcissa. Beside her, Bellatrix moved to the edge of her seat.
As if she knew her sister was here, Narcissa turned around just before the Aurors sat her down in the chair. Her dark eyes met Bellatrix's across the distance of the room. It was just a second or two and yet it felt like a lifetime. Bellatrix shivered and Hermione watched how Narcissa sat down. The shackles automatically closed around her ankles and her wrists. The sound of the chains chilled Hermione to the bone. Whispers rose from the audience watching and she heard several people calling Narcissa names under their breath. Suddenly she was glad the Ministry had taken their wands upon arrival because she wasn't entirely sure Bellatrix wouldn't hex the ones talking bad about her sister.
"Please state your full name for the record" Kingsley said slowly.
Hermione admired how he managed to sound both kind and strict at the same time. The public had done well by choosing him, she thought. He was calm yet resolute. There was something comforting about his presence. She had always liked Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black" Narcissa answered without hesitation. Her voice was loud and clear and she held her head up high.
"Narcissa Malfoy, you have already spent numerous weeks in Azkaban and today you are here to stand trial on charges relating to your activities during the War" Kingsley read the information from the parchment in front of him, occasionally glancing at Narcissa. She remained motionless, her eyes fixed on him. Nothing about her posture betrayed any discomfort. "The charges are as follows; that you knowingly and willingly aided Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters in their attempts to murder and torture Muggle borns and Half Bloods. Is that correct?"
"I suppose..." Narcissa answered and there was a slight hesitation in her voice. "But you yourself know there were several lines that could be crossed, Minister. And I know you are aware of some of the other issues involved..."
"You are the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange-Black, are you not?" Kingsley questioned and Narcissa gave a quick nod. "And you were aware of the enchantment placed upon your sister from the day she was born with the intention of creating the perfect devotee for Voldemort?"
"Yes" Narcissa answered softly and Hermione could see her hands shake as they rested on the wooden armrests of the chair. She did not want to look at the witch because the longer she looked at her, the more intense the flashbacks became. But somehow she could not tear her eye away.
"How did you gain this knowledge?" Kingsley asked Narcissa and she shot a look in the direction of where Bellatrix and Hermione were sitting.
"I overheard my father, Cygnus Black, talk to my mother, Druella, when I was still a young girl. I... I asked him what was happening to Bella...He told me..." Narcissa answered and her voice was about to break. Suddenly she looked nothing at all like the deranged witch who had attacked Hermione at Malfoy Manor nor the deranged woman who had screamed at them in her cell in Azkaban.
"More information has come to our attention about this, Madame Malfoy. We have learnt that your Father in fact forced you into an Unbreakable Vow with your other sister, Andromeda, and made you swear never to tell the truth you Bellatrix. What did your Father tell you would happen if you did?" Kingsley asked and it was clear Narcissa was startled. She didn't know Kingsley knew about the Unbreakable Vow. Her eyes desperatly searched the courtroom and found Andromeda and Tonks.
"Andy..." she whispered, clearly bewildered and scared. She then looked back at Kingsley. "He told us that if we ever told Bellatrix the truth about the spell or her life, she would die and the spell would pass onto whoever had broken the enchantment, meaning we would be forced to become the next loyal lieutenant of Lord Voldemort"
"So you never told your sister the truth" Kingsley concluded and Narcissa nodded.
"Never"
"And this influenced your actions how..."
"I wanted to be beside her at all times. If I could not protect her in any way at least I could be there in case something happened. I knew Voldemort favoured her. He favoured her over my own husband and so did I. As long as she was number one, she was safe. If she was ever to fall from his grace, the consequences could be severe..." Narcissa spoke with a soft, almost subdued voice and swallowed. Tears sounded through her words. "Andromeda's choices in life and my Father's iron hand meant I had already lost one sister. I did not want to lose another... at all cost"
Kingsley picked up another role of parchment and unrolled it, breaking the red and gold seal that had previously kept it rolled up. Hermione recognised it even from this distance. It was her own written statement. Kingsley had asked her to write it leading up to the trial and she knew it held a detailed account of the moment Narcissa had told her the truth about Bellatrix. There was no mention about what had happened in the library. No mention of Bellatrix attacking Narcissa with the candle stick.
"I, Hermione Jean Granger, hereby testify that Narcissa Malfoy told me about the spell placed upon her sister Bellatrix Lestrange during my voluntary stay at Malfoy Manor. This information subsequently helped me break the enchantment and led to the freedom of Bellatrix..."
Hermione sat still. The parchment was enchanted and hearing her own voice echo through the courtroom was strangely chilling. It was dead quiet in the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Every possible set of eyes was fixed on Kingsley and his parchment. People seemed to have forgotten the real Hermione Granger was in this courtroom, sitting only a few feet away from Narcissa Malfoy. She stared at Bellatrix's sister, not quite sure how she was feeling. Beside her, Bellatrix was still perched on the edge of seat. Her hands had relaxed and her charcoal eyes had filled with tears. Her eyes solely rested on her sister and Hermione suspected Bellatrix wanted nothing more than to tear Narcissa out of her seat and hold her close, like she had done with Andromeda several weeks ago.
"Is it true you approached Severus Snape last year when Lord Voldemort instructed your son Draco to murder Albus Dumbledore?" Kingsley had put down the parchment and Hermione would swear she could see some form of pity in his eyes. She couldn't completely forget her loathing towards Narcissa and she doubted she could ever forgive her for what she had done and yet she felt a sense of regret now that she looked at her. So many things had happened and all of them had forced Narcissa to do the one thing she knew how to do well; protect her family.
"Yes" Narcissa answered, sounding rather a little bit stronger this time. Her fingers scratched against the wooden armrests and the chains of her restraints rattled hauntingly. "I made the Unbreakable Vow with him in which he promised to protect my son. I am sure Draco has told you all of this. This Vow and the fact that Severus was in fact still working for the Order, resulted in him murdering Albus Dumbledore instead of my son. Severus never broke his word, and nor did I. I may have had little to be respected for, let alone loved..."
Her words died there and her voice trailed off. Silence followed and people shared confused and puzzled looks. Whispers began to fill the courtroom and Kingsley took a few seconds for people to express their thoughts and emotions before picking up his little hammer and slamming it down on his bench a few times. Almost instantly, it went silent once again.
"We will hear your son's full testimony later, Mrs Malfoy. For now I am sending you back to the dungeons... You may call for visitors if you so wish..." Kingsley said and his eyes found Hermione and Bellatrix before Narcissa's did. When looked in their direction, Hermione suppressed the desire to scream at her. Instead, her hand slipped into Bellatrix's and the raven haired woman rose to her feet. People only now realised they were here and voices came to live as they descended down the narrow steps between the benches until they reached the floor. Narcissa was already gone and in the middle of the room only the wooden chair with the ankle and wrist shackles remained.
Across the room, Andromeda and Tonks had also made their way down the steps and met Hermione and Bellatrix at the bottom. Andromeda looked at her older sister. Both shared the same pained, tired expression and Hermione suspected Andromeda's nights had been as restless as Bellatrix's. The dark haired witch had barely slept in the last week.
"Do you want to see her?" Andromeda asked quietly and looked at Bellatrix. "Bella?"
"Yes, I think I do..." Bellatrix answered. "You?"
"I haven't seen her for more than twenty five years. Not until this day. If there is a chance they will be locking her up for goodness knows how many more... Yes, I want to see my sister..." Andromeda said and she looked at Hermione. The younger witch was slightly taken aback by the persistent look in Andromeda's chocolate brown eyes. "But before I do, I need for you to tell me the one thing neither of you has been willing to tell me. I know Narcissa did something you don't want to talk about. I knew it the night we met back at the house... And somehow it is not being addressed here in court, which means Hermione never told Kingsley..."
"Andy..." Hermione began but Bellatrix placed a hand on her arm before gently kissing Hermione on her hair. She sighed and looked at her lover. She didn't want Andromeda to know because it was tormenting enough to know Bellatrix remembered.
"Narcissa attacked Hermione during her time at the Manor" Bellatrix answered and when Andromeda didn't respond she sighed. "She attacked her in the same way I attacked Hermione whilst she was my prisoner. She... She did things Hermione would only let me do...And in return I attacked Narcissa.."
Andromeda covered her mouth with her hand and Hermione averted her eyes.
"I don't want you to judge Narcissa any different than you did before, Andy" she said and stared at the black marble courtroom floor. Her reflection looked distorted; almost like the way she felt inside. "She is your sister. She might go free today. Times were different then. We were all different..." She swallowed hard and hoped one day she could truly believe those words. "Nothing has changed"
"Come with us" said an Auror with dirty blonde hair and a mismatched suit. He had appeared behind them out of nowhere and startled the four witches. They followed him as on the bench Kingsley called for Lucius Malfoy. A door swung open and revealed the now almost broken figure of Lucius Malfoy. He resembled in no way the proud and arrogant man he had once been. He had stubble and his eyes were bloodshot and tired looking. Dark rings surrounded his eyes. His wife had been a picture of health whereas Lucius was almost a picture of forgotten madness.
Bellatrix froze as they past him and both she and Lucius looked at each other. Even now the rivalry between them had not died and Hermione wondered how much Lucius really knew about his wife's devotion to her sister. She had been willing to let her husband suffer in order to keep Bellatrix safe. It was Lucius who looked away first, his steel grey eyes cold and empty, and he continued his solemn walk towards the chair. Hermione could hear the chains rattle as they left the courtroom and began their journey down to the dungeons.
The corridors were dark and only scarcely lit by a few torches. Their shadows were more like eerie figures on the stone cold walls and Hermione shivered when a cold chill crept down her spine. Their footsteps echoed on and on and it sounded like a marching army was approaching. Eventually the Auror held still outside a metal gate. Bellatrix, who was in front, stood still too. It took her a few seconds before she found the strength to turn towards the cell and she found her sister sitting on the stone bench in the far left corner, partially hidden by the shadows. She hung her head but looked up now that the visitors had arrived.
"I did not think you would come..." she spoke softly and then looked past her eldest sister and discovered Andromeda behind her. "Andy..."
"Cissy..." Andromeda whispered as she stepped past Bellatrix and her fingers closed around the cold metal bars of the gate separating her from her sister.
It seemed no one quite knew what to say because silence followed. A silence in which the three sisters awkwardly looked at each other, lost for words to say. When Hermione eventually took Bellatrix's hand into her own, Narcissa realised she was there and her dark eyes widened in horror. Suddenly she seemed to cower into the corner of her cell.
"There is no need..." Hermione began but swallowed the rest of her sentence when the Auror that had brought them down here returned. He looked almost grim and filed past them without saying anything. He shot a brief look at Tonks, clearly recognising her, but still said nothing. With a flick of his wand, the lock opened and nervously, Narcissa stood up from the cold wooden bench she had been sitting on. She approached the gate carefully and waited for the Auror to open the gate. When he did, she stepped outside and now stood only a few inches away from her sisters but still they could not touch each other.
"Why are you taking her back to the court room?" Andromeda questioned and the Auror turned to her, clearly not caring much about the whole procedure.
"Minister of Magic said he is finished with her husband and is ready to pass judgment on this one..." he said with a degrading nod in Narcissa's direction. She hung her head as she followed him. With nervous looks Bellatrix, Hermione, Andromeda and Tonks followed as well. They entered the courtroom through the same door they had left but did not bother climbing back up the steps to the benched. They huddled together as Narcissa was guided back to the wooden chair. The restraints were no longer there, Hermione noticed and a sense of relief washed over her.
"Let's hope Kingsley is being sensible..." Andromeda whispered and Hermione noticed how she placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm.
"Let's hope he sentences Lucius to death..." Bellatrix growled and stared up at the Minister of Magic as he sat back down in his seat. Hermione searched for Bellatrix's hand and squeezed it. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage so loudly that it felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest. Her stomach had tightened itself into a knot and she couldn't even begin to imagine how her lover felt. Bellatrix's charcoal eyes rested on Narcissa, who sat herself down in the chair.
Kingsley's hammer landed on the side of his bench and the whispering voiced trailed off. Silence fell. His deep voice filled the courtroom, echoing off the walls. Every time he spoke, Hermione felt calm and she looked up to him. His dark eyes had fixed on Narcissa.
"Narcissa Diantha Malfoy-Black, the Wizengamot is ready to pass judgment. Is there anything you like to say before a verdict passed and sentencing determined?" Kingsley sounded peaceful, calm and reassuring.
"May I stand?" Narcissa asked and Kingsley gave a quick nod. Slowly, almost unsteady, Narcissa rose from her chair and looked around the courtroom, almost as if to take in the faces that had come to watch her here today. She did not doubt many of those present here would enjoy to see her fall even further from grace. And she expected many of them to hope she would be sentenced to Azkaban. But then her eyes finally found Bellatrix, Andromeda, Hermione and Tonks.
"I have no reason to ask for understanding, mercy or any form of kindness. I have no right to stand before you all and ask for forgiveness. I can merely stand here as the woman I am today – broken, alone and demoralised. The world I knew exists no longer. And nor does the world any of you all knew. Everything has changed and with change comes hurt. Hurt in ways no one can ever explain or put into words..." Narcissa said. Her voice was clear, loud and strong. "All I can say is that regret does not even begin to explain the way I feel about my actions. But I find hope in all of you. As here stands my sister... And the world has accepted her once again. And it is a lot to ask of someone... to accept them when your past is even darker than your name. So I stand here, finding hope in you all. Hope that there is still room for change and, regardless of the verdict passed about me and the sentence that comes with that verdict I rest assured that perhaps, one day, there will be a place for me too"
She slowly sat down, folded her hands back in her lap and hung her head. Whatever lay head of her now was in the hands of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Whatever lay ahead of her after today, lay in the hands of all of those present here today.
"Those in favour of conviction..." Kingsley spoke with a clear, strict and demanding voice and Hermione's eyes swept across the entire Wizengamot. She counted five hands, ten... Far less than half the amount of hands that was needed to convict Narcissa. In her chest her heart leapt up.
"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges..." Kingsley concluded and a sea of hands rose up. Hermione did not bother counting them. There were way more than was needed for Narcissa to be freed. In her excitement, she grabbed Bellatrix hand and the raven haired witch turned to look at Hermione. Tears were trickling down Bellatrix's cheeks whilst Kingsley's hammer landed down on his bench. His booming voice filled the whole courtroom with those final words. "Cleared of all chargers"
Bellatrix's lips tenderly found Hermione's. It was a kiss that went unnoticed by so many. Her arms slipped around the younger witch's waist and she pulled her closer. Hermione could taste the salt of her tears but nevertheless her eyes fluttered shut and she answered the kiss.
"Thank you..." Bellatrix breathed when they parted and Hermione rested her forehead against Bellatrix's.
"She has hope..." Hermione answered and looked down at her fingers entwined with Bellatrix's. "We should all have hope"