'Mentis Imperium'
'Now Michael I want you to go up to Professor McGonagall's office and tell her that it was you who beat Professor Longbottom. Tell her you really don't have a good reason other than feeling like you had to do it.' She instructed.
'Now when I cough you will go in and from now on Michael whenever someone else coughs you will do what they say' Ginny added
Ginny watched with delight as Michael walked in the direction of the Headmistresses office
The redhead was dancing on the inside; it really was pure perfection to have total control over someone to bend him or her to your every whim.
Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table and placed food onto her plate and chewed thoughtfully.
Who else could she control she wondered looking around the hall for her next victim.
She was coming out of class later that morning and saw the Minister for Magic making great strides towards the Headmistresses office.
Showtime she thought, quickly changing direction and making her way to the office being mindful to stay far enough behind the Minister so as not to be noticed.
Kingsley took a seat close to Minerva's desk and looked closely at the boy that had confessed to beating Neville Longbottom.
'Right Mr Corner I would like you to explain what happened on the evening Professor Longbottom was attacked' Kingsley said sternly.
'I went down to the Greenhouses, picked up a plank of wood and beat Professor Longbottom until he wasn't moving any longer, I don't really know why I did it, it was like I had to do it' he explained
'You will come to the Ministry with me now where you will be held until a trial can be organised' Kingsley said gravely
'I would like this kept quiet for the time being Minerva' Kingsley added
The Headmistress nodded.
Michael stood without argument and was led over to the fireplace where he and the Minister flooed back to the Ministry.
Minerva shook her head of all the people she thought might be responsible for attacking Neville Michael Corner certainly wasn't at the top of her list.
She contacted the boy's parents and told them to go straight to the Ministry.
Kingsley walked into St Mungo's later that day and went to find Draco and Augusta.
He had not long finished interviewing the young man about Neville's attack; his parents had arrived at the Ministry not long after he himself had arrived.
Kingsley had advised them to seek Legal representation; he referred the matter to his husband who was organising a colleague to meet with them.
'Draco, Augusta' Kingsley greeted the pair as he walked into the room.
'Minister' Augusta nodded.
'I have some news regarding your Grandsons attack' Kingsley stated.
'Someone has been caught?' Augusta asked
'Yes, a student from Hogwarts confessed to Minerva earlier today in the Great Hall, he is now in a holding cell at the Ministry until his trial' Kingsley replied
'Who was it?' Draco asked quietly
'Michael Corner' Kingsley answered
'Do you know this boy Draco?' Augusta questioned
'No I don't think so' Draco said vaguely
' I hope he gets Azkaban and they lose the key' Augusta snarled.
'Did he say why he attacked my Grandson?'
'All he said was he felt like he had to do it' Kingsley said
'That's the excuse he gave you, he beats my husband to a pulp and leaves him for dead and all he can say is he felt like he had to do it. He wants to pray to Merlin that he wakes up' Draco raged clenching his fists and shaking.
Kingsley placed a hand on Draco's shoulder in an effort to calm him down.
Before he knew it the blonde was sobbing uncontrollably against the Ministers chest his whole body trembling.
Augusta looked at Draco with sadness. He had been like a rock since Neville had been brought in.
She had wondered when it would finally get the better of him and he would break down.
When the sobbing subsided Kingsley sat down on a chair and Draco moved to sit on the bed wit his husband.
He picked up Neville's hand and kissed it gently.
Michael Corner sat in a holding cell in the Ministry of Magic racking his brain wondering why he was there and how he came to confess to the crime.
The last thing he remembered was going to breakfast in the Great Hall and now he was here.
Maybe he had blocked out attacking the Professor, he heard that could sometimes happen with things like that.
The person felt really bad after committing a crime so they block the memory of it.
His parents had left a short while ago with a boy from Hogwarts he had been in Slytherin Michael thought.
They were going to meet with a lawyer find out what would happen next.
He supposed that he would end up in Azkaban prison.
The thought should have filled him with tremendous fear, but for reasons he couldn't explain it didn't.
An intense tiredness washed over the Ravenclaw and he curled up on the single bed and drifted off to sleep.
A while later he woke with a start when he heard someone cough.
He sat looking out through the transparent door looking for whoever had made the sound.
When no one spoke or asked him anything, he figured he must have dreamt it so lay back down and went back off to sleep.
The Auror who had been passing at the time noticed the prisoner sit bolt upright and look around.
He waited a few moments to see if maybe there was something wrong, when the boy lay back down he went on his way.
Kingsley arrived back at the Ministry and went straight into his office sealing the door.
He poured a large glass of firewhiskey and took a long swig.
He sat down behind his desk and studied the pile of parchment in front if him.
Sometimes being Minister wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
The look of rage on Draco's face was going to stay with him for quite a while.
It was the part of his job that he hated, having to deliver bad news to people always hard, but when he knew them it was that much harder.
On Friday morning Healer O'Neil arrived at St Mungo's to check on Neville's condition.
He performed a scan of Neville's brain to see if the swelling had decreased any further since his last visit and was happy to find it had done so quite considerably.
Happy with the outcome he spoke to the Healer that had first seen Neville and worked out a regime to slowly bring him out of the induced coma.
In the waiting room he was met with looks of hope and small smiles.
It was the first time he had seen Mr Longbottoms husband smile.
He did stress that while the results were promising the true test would be to see if he could breathe without assistance and he came out of the coma successfully.
It was enough to hope for and Draco allowed himself to hold onto that sliver of hope.
He wanted his husband back and wouldn't give up until Neville was well and back in his arms.
Harry and Severus took the chance to head back to Hogwarts for the night.
They would come back the next morning and let Augusta go home for a well-earned rest.
Harry entertained the thought he might even be able to sway Drake to sleep for a few hours.
He may be grasping at straws for it to happen but being a true Gryffindor he would certainly try.
Sitting in Minerva's office that evening she told Harry and Severus about Michael Corner being arrested and taken to the Ministry.
Something about the name struck familiar to Harry and Severus though neither man could pinpoint the familiarity with any certainty.
They both slept soundly that night. Praying that the next few days would finally bring some much needed good news.
In Gryffindor Tower Ginny Weasley was busy planning who her next victim might be.
She had a person in mind but it was a risky move.
What was life without a little risk? She thought
It would take meticulous planning every detail had to be perfect for it to work without her being implicated in any way.
Michael was easy Minerva McGonagall was another kettle of fish entirely.
She would think twice about scolding her after Ginny had got through with her.