Disclaimer: Nothing related to Harry Potter belongs to me. It belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Twenty Eight: Family Trials

Harry sighed as he trudged up to Gryffindor Tower. He was supposed to attend the trial to testify tonight, under Veritaserum, and he was nervous. It only increased the tension singing along his body when he was told that he had to tell his friends, as well as the other Gryffindors, what was going on. Well, some of what was going on. He had to explain his changing body to them all, but only had to explain the grounding to his friends. Oh, joy. He was thinking that he would have preferred they just find the information in the library, but it was too late for that now.

Sighing, he murmured the word to the Pink Lady and was allowed inside, but not before she gave him a coy smile and a wink. Wondering what the hell that had been about, Harry shook his head and slipped into the Gryffindor common room. Glancing around, he easily spotted his two best friends, sitting over in the corner and pouring over some books. Harry grinned. They were probably doing homework. Without him to distract Ron, Hermione had sunk her claws in and turned him into a studious young man. Harry was sure he'd pass enough of his classes to become an auror now.

Wandering over to him, he soon became aware of all the people staring at him as he passed them by. Whispers broke throughout the room, and he didn't have to strain his ears to hear them. "Who do you figure he is?" "Is he a transfer student?" "He's positively gorgeous!" "Those eyes of his - I've never seen anyone with that coloring before - well, no human, at least." "Maybe he's not human."

Harry flushed and lowered his head, quickening his steps toward Ron and Hermione, who hadn't looked up yet. Only when he was standing beside them did they bother to look up. Their mouths fell open and they stared openly at him for a long moment, until he was shifting uncomfortably on his feet. Ron was the first to talk. Offering his hand, he said candidly, "Hi, I'm Ron. This is Hermione. Are you new here? You must be, I don't recognize you."

Biting his lip, Harry debated how it would be best to let them know who he was, when Hermione solved the problem for him. Elbowing Ron hard in the ribs, she looked at him and whispered, "Harry?" Harry just nodded, unsure of what was happening. Hermione stood up abruptly and grabbed his arm, dragging him up the stairs and into the boys' dormitory, leaving Ron to grab their stuff and follow.

Once they were all settled, Hermione started the conversation. "All right, Harry, talk. What's going on? What is grounding? Is it somehow causing this? We couldn't find anything in the library, although I could have sworn there were a few books that had Jachyra grounding in them."

When she paused to take a breath, Harry held up his hand. "Please, 'Mione. That's what I'm here to tell you about. You couldn't find the books because Severus took them from the library, because I wasn't ready for you two to find out about the grounding. I wasn't...comfortable with it, at all."

When Hermione and Ron didn't say anything, Harry took a deep breath and launched into his explanation. "Jachyras are very powerful, and as they reach maturity, their power increases, until it reaches a point where it becomes dangerous just to be near one. This goes for were-Jachyras as well, apparently. Grounding is when a Jachyra takes a mate, which cannot be another Jachyra, because a union between two Jachyras has the potential to take out a great deal of land, destroying everything on it. With were-Jachyras, that mate is another human, which is what mine is."

"The physical changes occur when a were-Jachyra is reaching that point. It can be stopped one of two ways. With a blood exchange between the were-Jachyra and its mate, the changing will stop. With mating, the were-Jachyra will be fully grounded and will no longer be an unintentional danger to those around him or her. The coloring also occurs when the were-Jachyra trusts its mate not to abuse the power he or she wields over the Jachyra, and it indicates that the were-Jachyra is ready for the blood transfer. Any questions so far?"

Hermione nodded and almost raised her hand, as if in class, before catching herself. "The exchange of blood...will that make your mate a were-Jachyra as well?" Harry shook his head, frowning. "No, I don't understand it, but apparently a were-Jachyra only creates more of its kind when there is a great need. Therefore, even if I were to bite him in Jachyra form, or to exchange blood with him, I won't infect him with the lycanthropy." Hermione nodded.

Then Ron asked the important question. "Who's your mate, and do you love him?" Harry nodded and swallowed. This was it. His friends' opinions meant a lot to him, since they cared for him for who he was. Hopefully, they'd accept him and support this. If not...well, he didn't want to think about it.

Swallowing again, he answered, "My mate is Severus Snape, and yes, I think I love him. At least, I care for him very deeply, and in a way that I haven't ever felt about anyone else."

Silence filled the room, and Harry shifted uncomfortably. All of a sudden, a chuckle filled the air, startling Harry. Looking up, he saw Ron staring back at him, mirth in his eyes as he turned to Hermione. "All right, 'Mione. Pay up. I won, fair and square." Hermione grumbled but reached into her robes and withdrew a money pouch, from which she pulled out five galleons and handed them over to Ron.

Harry was gob smacked. "You guys were betting on me? About what!" Ron looked over at him and grinned. "We were betting on how long it would take for you to acknowledge that you were head over heels in love with the professor, or if you would at all. I won." Harry rolled his eyes and sagged with relief. Well, that was one obstacle out of the way. Except, of course, that he had to tell the rest of the Gryffindors why he had changed so much.

Hermione, with her sharp eyes, caught his gaze. "What's wrong, Harry?" Harry shrugged and told them that he had to tell the rest of the Gryffindors. Hermione shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Harry. We'll explain it to them. We'll just tell them that the physical changes are a side-effect of an increase in power. It's the truth, as far as it goes." Harry grinned. "My thoughts exactly. You sure the Hat didn't want to put you in Slytherin? It tried that with me, you know."

With that last new bit of information, Harry got up and left the dorm room, heading back out of the Gryffindor Tower and moving towards the dungeons. If he had to attend the Dursleys' trial tonight, he was going to take a nice long, hot bath first to relax himself. Then he was going to dress comfortably and curl up on the couch in front of the fire with a cup of tea.

Walking into his rooms, he greeted Severus on instinct, then went into his bedroom to get a change of clothes. On they way out, he saw Severus watching him, amusement glittering in his dark eyes. "What is it, Sev?" he asked grumpily. He wasn't in the mood to try and drag information out of Severus tonight.

The older man just shook his head and said, "You look like you've just been sentenced to life without trial in Azkaban, Harry. Was it really that bad?" His voice was light, but Harry still heard the unmistakable concern in his voice.

He nodded. "No, not bad at all, Sev. Everything went well, better than I had thought it would, actually. They were placing bets on how long it would take until I told them what was going on." Well, not really, but it was close enough to the truth. "I'm more worried about tonight, that's all. They're putting me under Veritaserum, aren't they?" Severus nodded, and his eyes looked troubled. Harry recognized that look. It meant that he was about to receive bad news. "Just tell me, Severus. What's going on that I don't know about yet?"

Severus shrugged. "Not much. They just feel that I'm too close to this, for some odd reason."

Harry frowned, not sure what he was getting at. Then it hit him. "They're using somebody else's potion on me, aren't they? Because they don't trust you not to poison me, or else to not make a mistake in the potion so that I can lie through my teeth to them."

Severus looked at him appraisingly and nodded in affirmation. "Exactly, Harry. I will, however, be allowed to monitor you, and to check the Veritaserum beforehand so that I can ensure it hasn't been tampered with."

Unspoken were the words that only Dumbledore's influence had made this possible. The Headmaster was true to his word and doing everything possible to make this easier on Harry, and for that, the teenager was grateful. He realized that he was beginning to truly trust the Headmaster again. Of course, it helped that Severus held the old wizard in high regard, and that Harry knew that Dumbledore truly only wanted the best for him.

Nodding in acceptance, Harry turned and went into bathroom, sinking into the tub with a moan of appreciation. The hot water felt achingly good against his tense muscles, and he found himself relaxing into the enveloping heat. He didn't even hear the door open ten minutes later, when Severus came in with some fresh towels for him. When he caught sight of the older man, Harry's first instinct was to cover up. Then he realized that the bubbles covered him quite nicely, and he relaxed. Besides, Severus wasn't staring at him.

As Severus turned to leave, Harry called out, "Wait, don't go, Sev, please." He knew that Severus' look of utter astonishment was mirrored on his face as well. Where the hell had that come from? Then he knew. It was time to exchange blood, now, before the trial tonight. The blood transference would allow Severus a measure of control over Harry's emotions and help him to stay calm tonight.

Looking up at Severus, he gestured him down beside him. Once Severus was perched on the end of the tub, he reached up and turned Severus' arm so that his palm was facing upwards. Comprehension dawned on his bonded's face, but he didn't pull away, so Harry continued. Using one of his claws, he drew blood in a hot thin line across Severus' wrist, then imitated the action on his own upturned arm. Taking hold of Severus' wrist, he pressed their arms together, feeling the tingling of magic as their blood mingled. Apparently, Severus felt it too, because he shuddered.

After about 15 minutes, during which the blood flow never slowed, he pulled their wrists apart, healing first Severus', then his own. However, he still wasn't done, and they both knew this instinctively. Reaching up, Harry drew a fine line across his collar bone and sat up in the tub, his nudity forgotten. Pressing the older wizards' mouth against the wound, he sighed in contentment as the man suckled at his neck, drinking the blood as if it were life-giving liquid. Perhaps it was.

Eventually, Severus pulled back and they just stared at each other. Harry found his gaze drawn to Severus' mouth as a tongue flicked out and lapped up the blood there. Acting on impulse, Harry tilted his head up and captured Severus' lips, kissing him. Tentatively, he flicked out his own tongue, licking at his mate's lower lips. He was surprised when the older man opened his mouth, but he took advantage of it, plunging his tongue inside and exploring what he could. Harry could taste his own blood in the other man's mouth, sweet and tangy, with a slightly metallic taste to it.

He continued his exploration, and Severus allowed him to, encouraging him with small moans of appreciation. Eventually, though, the need for air became too great, and Harry broke off the kiss, wrenching a whimper from both of them at the loss of contact. They just stared at each other, flushed and wide-eyed, breathing heavily.

Harry spoke first, in a shaky voice breathless with wonder. "That was amazing, Severus. I don't believe I've ever felt anything like that." Severus just nodded dumbly, then rose and left as Harry found the strength to climb out of the tub and get dressed. Glancing at the clock, he realized he didn't have time to curl up on the couch with some tea, but it didn't bother him. He had found something much more relaxing. Perhaps he could get Severus to agree to kissing him at night until he fell asleep.

Grinning at the thought, Harry bounced after Severus into the hallway. Remus and Draco met them there. Remus sniffed the air and grinned knowingly, and Draco smirked at them. "It's about time you guys admitted some things, you know." Harry just rolled his eyes and shoved Draco playfully. In retaliation, the blonde shoved him back, knocking him right into Severus, who was unprepared for the sudden attack and fell, bringing Harry with him. They lay in a heap on the floor, working on untangling arms and legs while Draco teased his godfather about being so clumsy.

Harry's good mood lasted until they reached the apparition point. Harry, of course, could apparate already, even though he was still underage, but Draco couldn't, so they'd be taking a portkey. Harry was nervous, but he knew that the others would end up wherever he did, and they were all excellent duelists, so he should be okay. It didn't stop the nervousness, but the knowledge gave him enough courage to grab hold of the portkey. A familiar tug behind his navel and they were gone.

They ended up in the same booth Harry had been in during fifth year, and he shuddered involuntarily with the memories. Remus wrapped his arms around his young charge in silent support, and Harry smiled gratefully up at him. "Welcome to the Ministry. Please state your name and business." Harry replied. "Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Draco, no last name. We are here for the trial of Mr. Vernon Dursley, Mr. Dudley Dursley, and Mrs. Petunia Dursley."

Four badges clinked out of the machine and the voice spoke again. "Authorized clearance. Please hand in your wands to be checked and logged at the end of the atrium. Thank you, and have a nice day."

With that, the booth opened up on the other side and they filed out into the Ministry building. Handing their wands in to be checked over, they waited impatiently. The man checking the wands looked doubtfully up at Severus and Harry growled, "Not a word, not one word." The Ministry worker looked at the teenage boy and nodded nervously, handing them back their wands wordlessly.

Filing into Courtroom Twenty Seven, they found their seats up front and waited quietly for the Dursleys to be brought in. Harry noticed the people staring at him and heard the whispers of speculation flying around the room. Glancing around quickly, Harry was relieved to note that there were no reporters in the room. No beetles either. Heheheh.

Finally, the doors opened and the Dursleys were brought in. Harry shuddered in sudden fear as Vernon looked right at him, a pleased look on his face. Oh, God. Had they already won the case? Is that why nobody was telling him anything? Was he going to be sent back there, this time to be killed for sure, either by his Muggle uncle or more Death Eaters?

Harry felt the panic attack coming and didn't know how to stop it. Suddenly, a soothing warmth stole into his mind, calming him. Looking wide- eyed at Severus, he smiled at the other man's almost imperceptible nod. His mate was helping him stay calm already. He knew now with certainty that he'd get through this all right. Even if Vernon had been winning before today, there was no way they were going to win after his testament. And even if these people were complete idiots and freed the Dursleys, Harry wouldn't have to go back, at least not alone. After all, it's not like they could separate him from his three bonded, now could they? Hahaha. Take that, Vernon.

The trial was quickly brought to order and both Severus and Harry were called to the stand. The judge watched carefully as Severus tested the Veritaserum for quality and purity before allowing the bailiff to place three drops on Harry's tongue. As Harry felt his mind short-circuit, he was aware of Severus' hands on his wrist, checking his pulse. The older wizard also checked that his breathing was regular and that his eyes were properly dilated before nodding and stepping back, allowing the questioning to begin.

At first, it was the basic questions, about his name, parents, birthday, what year he was in at Hogwarts. Then they started getting more personal, asking about when was the first time he could remember being struck by the Dursleys, about the neglect and starvation, the emotional abuse, leading up through the years until the past summer, where he had very nearly died as a direct result of his uncle's decision and still hadn't recovered fully.

In his seat, Vernon Dursley was fuming, but Harry couldn't find it in him to care. He realized that part of it was due to the Veritaserum, which made everything fuzzy and detached from himself. Severus was also helping through their bond, and both Remus and Draco were sending their own mental encouragement, keeping Harry strong.

Suddenly, a question rang out from the room. "Why have you changed so much physically?" There were cries of outrage at this, and all three of his bonded looked furious, but Harry could do nothing but answer the question. However, he had been aware of the whispers that had traveled through the room before the trial and was ready for this.

"My powers are increasing, and with them, my appearance is changing to match them. My body has had to adjust to the demands placed on it by my magic. My hair I allowed to grow out. My body has matured to better contain my magic, since I was not healthy enough to control it. My eyes changed simply to show the outside world that my magic was growing."

All of that was true, strictly speaking. He had left his hair long after his first transformation instead of cutting it. His body had indeed been weaker before his transformation, and the healthier his body was, the easier it was for him to control his magic without draining himself. And his eyes changed to let his bonded know that his power was growing and that he needed to be grounded, and soon.

The judge stared at him for a few seconds before turning a glare out into the crowd. "The next one who speaks out loud like that will be removed from here, and Mr. Potter will permitted to press charges should he desire to do so." Turning to Harry, her voice softened as she asked him, "Since there is no longer any evidence of the attack itself, would you mind if we displayed some of your memories for the court to see?"

Harry, still under the Veritaserum, replied candidly, "Yes, I mind, but I will allow you to display my memories if it will keep me from ever having to go back to the Dursleys." The judge blinked in surprise, then nodded, gesturing for Severus to come forward. Apparently she had noticed how protective he was of his young charge. She watched as the Potions Master delivered the antidote to Harry, who blinked at looked up at him, a wordless conversation occurring between them.

After a few seconds, Harry smiled and nodded, relaxing his body into the seat and holding on to Severus' hand. The judge understood without him having to explain. He'd let her show his memories, but only if he could have the physical support he needed while she did so. With this in mind, she gestured for Remus and Draco to come forward. They did so eagerly, and soon they all stood with Harry, who leaned into their touch and closed his eyes, relaxing even further.

The judge also noticed, with no small amount of satisfaction, that Vernon Dursley had turned his glare to the table top, apparently afraid of facing off against these three wizards who were obviously very protective of Harry.

Whispering to him that she was going to begin whenever he was ready, she waited for his nod before casting the spell, displaying his memories in the air in a three dimensional view. She turned to Harry and said, "Whenever you are ready, you may guide the memories and show the ones you want to. Sometimes I may ask you to go back or forward in time, but for the most part, it's in your control. Understood?"

Harry nodded and graced her with a small, appreciative smile that made her heart crack. This poor boy had been through so much, and he was still so polite and honest, not bitter and full of hate as she had thought he'd be. Turning back to the display, she watched in horror as Harry Potter's home life was laid out before her eyes. Hearing about it was one thing, but actually seeing it was another.

An hour later, she called the images off, turning to Harry with a solemn face. "Thank you, Harry. You may go now. This court is adjourned. Please come back at ten tomorrow morning for the final judgment." With that, she dismissed them. As she left, she noticed that not a single jury member had dry eyes. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to hold out either.

As they left, Harry turned to his three guardians and smiled up at them innocently. They stared at him, shocked. After what he had just been through, after being forced to relive so many horrible memories, he could still smile so beatifically at them? He was made of sterner stuff than he ever gave them credit for. They were strong, but he was the one who held them together, and they all appreciated it. After all, they now had a family. As diverse and odd as it was, they still had a family, and they wouldn't trade it for the world.