p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Draco snuck quietly into the basement where they were holding the prisoners. He came down here every day to feed them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco?" He heard Luna ask as he passed the food through the bar./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""What?" He answered, scared to be heard./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""What if they're dead?" She asked. It wasn't hard to hear the fear in her statement and it sent a rush of fear through all of them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""The death eaters have been saying the same thing. No one has any contact with them. They're probably under a ton of wards and hidden somewhere. It takes years for wards as strong as I'm sure Granger's are to break down." Draco started. It made sense. But there was something no one seemed to be accounting for. "Truth be told, I'm not sure any of them are actually dead. Have you met Potter? There's nothing anyone could do to make that idiot give up. Probably not even death. I'm sure that git will live until every death eater to ever breath a good word about Voldy is dead. Granger and Weasley aren't exactly going to give up with their best friend on the front lines either."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"With that, he left Luna and the others with just a little more hope. The next day, Draco was proved to be right. What he didn't know was that what he said would go on to save his life and make him happier than he ever thought he would be after the war./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"The trials were grueling. His mother had already been sentenced five years under house arrest and his father given the death penalty. He wasn't exactly upset about his father, he was just worried about his upcoming trial. Half his friends had been sentenced years in Azkaban for their minuscule involvement. What would they do to the kid that was meant to kill Dumbledore?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"He was pulled from his holding cell, luckily just in the ministry, and transferred to the courtroom. He was shoved into the chair in the middle of the huge room and shackled to the arms. He was still wearing the dirty, torn robes he had fought in at Hogwarts. He didn't bother looking around./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy, do you consent to a dose of veritasium before your trial? Be warned that denial will be considered an admission of guilt for all charges." The judge, some guy that had taken over after Susan Bone's death, said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I consent," Draco said as loud as he could considering the pneumonia he had contracted while waiting for his trial. He had been in that cell with four other people for three months./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"The Aurors forced his head back and his chin down before he even knew what was happening. Some unspeakable shrouded in black robes let three drops fall into his throat and he was released./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You have been charged with being a death eater, torture, murder, and conspiracy to murder. how do you plead?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Draco didn't know what to say. He had done all of those things but he had done all of them by force. They were his torture./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I-I don't know. I did all of them, but not by choice." The tears that followed the statement were less out of fear and more of relief to finally say it. He was guilty. He was also broken./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy is innocent." He heard from his left. He looked to the stands to find Luna Lovegood and her girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, standing. Weasley looked less confident in Luna's statement but the expression on Luna's face was undeniable./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Do you have evidence to prove this?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I have my time in Malfoy Manor, as a prisoner. Every day, when he could manage, Draco would visit us. He always brought us food and healed our wounds. When they found out someone was doing such a thing, they made sure everyone was aware that whoever it was would be severely punished and killed. But he never stopped. I distinctly remember when I began to trust him for more than just food and healing." Luna held out a tube filled with blue memory./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"They collected the tube from Luna and used some spell to project the memory. Draco looked away as the crowd watched and listened to him tell the prisoners his thoughts on the golden trio and whether they were alive or not./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""This proves very little. He has the mark, he confessed to doing as he was accused. Just send him off with his father." Some man yelled once the memory ended. A surprising voice responded./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco saved my life. We were caught and brought to Malfoy Manor. He helped us escape. I was also on the tower when he tried to kill Dumbledore. He didn't do it. He couldn't do it." Harry Potter was standing now, looking angry. "If your parents had raised you to believe as he did and if you had been only a teenager when Voldemort came back, what would you have done? He had no choice, just like I had no choice."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy, tell us how you were forced into committing your charges. The judge sounded almost gleeful in making Draco relive it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""When I got the mark, they cruciode me until I could hardly move and then they held me down and he laughed as the mark was burned into me." Draco was crying so hard he was sure the words were indistinguishable but the veritasium kept him talking. "When they wanted me to torture someone, the made Nagini poise over my neck. She was always ready to strike if given the command. The spells were always too weak to hurt very badly for very long so I was always punished after. I was only made to kill one person. She was a muggle and they made me use Sectumsempra because they found out that Potter used it to give me my scars. I was supposed to kill Dumbledore but I couldn't do it so Snape did and he was forced to punish me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"When he finished, the room was silent. There was a call for a vote and it was settled that he would be sentenced to spending the summer rebuilding Hogwarts and that he was required to attend his eighth year./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"He didn't know where to go after he was released. He was to report to Hogwarts tomorrow but until then he would have to go to the manor. That was the last place he wanted to be. He sat in the hall outside the courtroom until everyone left. Luna and Ginny left after his trial, hugging him and thanking him for his generosity. When Potter left, the trials for that day had finished. He found Draco and took the seat next to him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You have nothing to be sorry for and no." Draco answered, not even looking at him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Do you have anywhere to go? You'll need somewhere to stay until the dorms at Hogwarts are usable again."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""No." Draco answered simply. He hadn't wanted to tell Potter that he planned to sit on that bench until the next day and then sleep in any area he could at Hogwarts./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You could stay with me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Draco looked up at that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Why would you do that? I'm a horrible person. I just told you all the horrible things I did."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Potter didn't say anything. They locked eyes for a moment. Then Potter kissed him. Draco melted into it. He had wanted this for years, had been head over heels for Potter since their third year./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""That's why. Will you come to stay with me?" Potter asked as he pulled away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Yes." Draco nodded, pressing his lips back to Harry's./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco?" He heard Luna ask as he passed the food through the bar./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""What?" He answered, scared to be heard./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""What if they're dead?" She asked. It wasn't hard to hear the fear in her statement and it sent a rush of fear through all of them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""The death eaters have been saying the same thing. No one has any contact with them. They're probably under a ton of wards and hidden somewhere. It takes years for wards as strong as I'm sure Granger's are to break down." Draco started. It made sense. But there was something no one seemed to be accounting for. "Truth be told, I'm not sure any of them are actually dead. Have you met Potter? There's nothing anyone could do to make that idiot give up. Probably not even death. I'm sure that git will live until every death eater to ever breath a good word about Voldy is dead. Granger and Weasley aren't exactly going to give up with their best friend on the front lines either."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"With that, he left Luna and the others with just a little more hope. The next day, Draco was proved to be right. What he didn't know was that what he said would go on to save his life and make him happier than he ever thought he would be after the war./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"The trials were grueling. His mother had already been sentenced five years under house arrest and his father given the death penalty. He wasn't exactly upset about his father, he was just worried about his upcoming trial. Half his friends had been sentenced years in Azkaban for their minuscule involvement. What would they do to the kid that was meant to kill Dumbledore?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"He was pulled from his holding cell, luckily just in the ministry, and transferred to the courtroom. He was shoved into the chair in the middle of the huge room and shackled to the arms. He was still wearing the dirty, torn robes he had fought in at Hogwarts. He didn't bother looking around./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy, do you consent to a dose of veritasium before your trial? Be warned that denial will be considered an admission of guilt for all charges." The judge, some guy that had taken over after Susan Bone's death, said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I consent," Draco said as loud as he could considering the pneumonia he had contracted while waiting for his trial. He had been in that cell with four other people for three months./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"The Aurors forced his head back and his chin down before he even knew what was happening. Some unspeakable shrouded in black robes let three drops fall into his throat and he was released./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You have been charged with being a death eater, torture, murder, and conspiracy to murder. how do you plead?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Draco didn't know what to say. He had done all of those things but he had done all of them by force. They were his torture./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I-I don't know. I did all of them, but not by choice." The tears that followed the statement were less out of fear and more of relief to finally say it. He was guilty. He was also broken./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy is innocent." He heard from his left. He looked to the stands to find Luna Lovegood and her girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, standing. Weasley looked less confident in Luna's statement but the expression on Luna's face was undeniable./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Do you have evidence to prove this?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I have my time in Malfoy Manor, as a prisoner. Every day, when he could manage, Draco would visit us. He always brought us food and healed our wounds. When they found out someone was doing such a thing, they made sure everyone was aware that whoever it was would be severely punished and killed. But he never stopped. I distinctly remember when I began to trust him for more than just food and healing." Luna held out a tube filled with blue memory./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"They collected the tube from Luna and used some spell to project the memory. Draco looked away as the crowd watched and listened to him tell the prisoners his thoughts on the golden trio and whether they were alive or not./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""This proves very little. He has the mark, he confessed to doing as he was accused. Just send him off with his father." Some man yelled once the memory ended. A surprising voice responded./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco saved my life. We were caught and brought to Malfoy Manor. He helped us escape. I was also on the tower when he tried to kill Dumbledore. He didn't do it. He couldn't do it." Harry Potter was standing now, looking angry. "If your parents had raised you to believe as he did and if you had been only a teenager when Voldemort came back, what would you have done? He had no choice, just like I had no choice."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Draco Malfoy, tell us how you were forced into committing your charges. The judge sounded almost gleeful in making Draco relive it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""When I got the mark, they cruciode me until I could hardly move and then they held me down and he laughed as the mark was burned into me." Draco was crying so hard he was sure the words were indistinguishable but the veritasium kept him talking. "When they wanted me to torture someone, the made Nagini poise over my neck. She was always ready to strike if given the command. The spells were always too weak to hurt very badly for very long so I was always punished after. I was only made to kill one person. She was a muggle and they made me use Sectumsempra because they found out that Potter used it to give me my scars. I was supposed to kill Dumbledore but I couldn't do it so Snape did and he was forced to punish me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"When he finished, the room was silent. There was a call for a vote and it was settled that he would be sentenced to spending the summer rebuilding Hogwarts and that he was required to attend his eighth year./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"He didn't know where to go after he was released. He was to report to Hogwarts tomorrow but until then he would have to go to the manor. That was the last place he wanted to be. He sat in the hall outside the courtroom until everyone left. Luna and Ginny left after his trial, hugging him and thanking him for his generosity. When Potter left, the trials for that day had finished. He found Draco and took the seat next to him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You have nothing to be sorry for and no." Draco answered, not even looking at him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Do you have anywhere to go? You'll need somewhere to stay until the dorms at Hogwarts are usable again."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""No." Draco answered simply. He hadn't wanted to tell Potter that he planned to sit on that bench until the next day and then sleep in any area he could at Hogwarts./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""You could stay with me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Draco looked up at that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Why would you do that? I'm a horrible person. I just told you all the horrible things I did."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"Potter didn't say anything. They locked eyes for a moment. Then Potter kissed him. Draco melted into it. He had wanted this for years, had been head over heels for Potter since their third year./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""That's why. Will you come to stay with me?" Potter asked as he pulled away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);""Yes." Draco nodded, pressing his lips back to Harry's./p