The Phoenix Court: Chapter 11
It rained heavily the week leading up to the trial. The seers claimed it was a message from the gods that proclaimed a negative omen. The court seemed to agree that the gods were displeased but what exactly their displeasure was about remained up for speculation. Many red supporters whispered that this weather was proof of the Malfoy's guilt. The greens countered that it was an omen showing the gods' displeasure at the false accusations against the house of Malfoy. The only certain thing was that there was an injustice that needed to be rectified.
Prince Draco grew tenser as the trial drew closer. He paced like a caged animal around his parent's apartments, walking back and forth, back and forth, never able to settle for long. Although he recognized that the King had been generous with confining his family to their apartments he still felt he had been wronged. Hadn't he been a good and loyal son? Would the King see the truth? He felt hopeful that the King seemed open-minded but then again could he be reading too much into his majesty's behavior. Damn it all! He thought to himself.
His outward showing of distress irritated his father who likewise was weighed down with his own fears and anxieties. More than once, father and son would lash out at each other. Lady Malfoy always interfered, reminding them both that they were stronger united than divided. She always reminded them that they only had each other. And how true her words were, the incident had revealed that former "friends" had gone silent, abandoning them before they could be stained by the Malfoy scandal.
Draco lamented the faithless friend the young miss Granger turned out to be. After his meeting with the King, Draco had sent a letter to Hermione professing that he was innocent but understanding that his innocence was difficult to prove. He hoped that she at least would be impartial. He remembered how tense he felt when writing that letter. He felt as if he ran miles through the forest. He knew that he would lose the love of half the court but he hoped that she would not turn her back on him.
But when his owl returned, with his letter unopened his heart sank. He untied his letter from the bird's ankle, trembling with rage. Another friend had abandoned them, but this hurt even more because he cared for her. Out of all the courtiers, he had hoped she would take his side. He tried to understand, to see things from her perspective…. Her father had remained impartial, neither for the reds nor the greens, but her mother had gone to great lengths to ingratiate herself with the red supporters. He remembered the look of distrust on Lord Granger's face as well…Certainly, her family was no friend to house Malfoy. He understood that but he felt betrayed.
Perhaps, Draco thought to himself, it was better to realize this sooner than later. But he was still a fool and he wrote to her twice more, hoping that he weighed more in her heart. He wanted her to reply to him, to bring him some light in the darkness. But a reply never came, it seemed he was nothing to her anymore.
So he resolved that he would spend no more time chasing after her. He needed to focus on his family, focus on proving himself and his father innocent.
Two days before the trial a letter arrived from Lord Nott with promising news. Nott, along with ambassador Zabini and his son, and Master Severus had investigated the staff at Malfoy castle. They had found out that a kitchen boy and scullery maid had been bribed to steal an old seal of the Malfoy crest. The servants had then passed the seal along to an unknown man. Lord Nott had assured Draco that the servants would be brought to the trial to speak of their deceit. Draco and his father were relieved, this was a crucial piece of evidence they needed to clear their names. All hope was not lost after all.
The rain ceased on the day of the trial, but the dark grey clouds hung heavy in the sky. Draco woke early that morning feeling cold. He shivered and pointed his wand at the fireplace. The flames burst to life, filling his room with light. He stared blankly at the fire for some time, seeing but not seeing. A scratching sound at his window caught his attention. He looked out and saw an unfamiliar owl. He opened his window and took the letter from the bird who waited on his windowsill. He looked at the seal and saw the crest of house Granger. A shiver hand through his body as if his blood turned to ice. He was furious but deep in the pit of his stomach he felt giddy. He hated it. He sneered at the letter and ripped it open.
Her writing was small and neat, every loop and line was elegantly done. "My Prince, I know I do not deserve it but please forgive me. I have listened to the words of others but neglected to listen to myself. I was foolish and afraid, but I don't want to be so anymore. I should not have condemned you before you had the chance to prove yourself innocent. Whatever the outcome of the trial, know that you have a friend in me still. With deep affection, yours H.G."
Draco stared at the letter and before he knew what he was doing he threw it into the fire. He had wanted this, for her to reach out, but he was so angry and tired. She had the chance to believe him and she threw it back in his face. He didn't need this distraction now. He needed a clear head today. He conjured a fabric cloth and waved his wand towards the fire. Ashes flew through the air to land in a small pile in the fabric which he affixed with a cord and melted wax to stamp his seal. He tied the little bundle to the owl's leg and sent it on its way.
Draco to several deep breaths to try and focus on the task at hand. His anger morphed into doubt and pessimism. Even though Draco had been waiting for the chance to prove his innocence, now that it arrived he wanted to crawl back into his bed and lay there for a few hundred years. If he and his father were proclaimed guilty all would be lost. The years he spent learning, working, and fighting to become the perfect heir would have been for nothing.
Draco crawled back into bed, drawing the covers close about himself to ward off the cold. He lay there unmoving, trying to quiet his thoughts. He didn't realize he fell back into a listless sleep until his servant came to wake him for breakfast. His servant who was usually very chatty, was quiet this morning. Draco was thankful that he didn't have to force himself to put on a cheerful disposition this morning. As he left the room the servant turned and nodded to Draco, "Good luck today, my Prince." Draco nodded back and gave the servant a true smile. Draco felt heartened at the show of support.
He was the first to take his place at the table. His mother joined him soon after. She was dressed impeccably in a deep green velvet gown, trimmed with fur. Pearls adorned her neck and hood. She looked ever bit a Lady of the house of Malfoy. Despite the powder on her face, one could see a hint of dark circles under her eyes and frown lines around her mouth. The worry and stress of the past few weeks took their toll on her happiness. The warmth she had faded and now there was a coldness about her.
Draco reached across the table to take his mother's hand. Her smile was faint in return and she placed her other hand above his. She clasped her son's hands tightly in hers and brought their joined hands to her forehead and bent as if in prayer. Her skin was frigid to the touch. He should buy her a new pair of gloves, he thought to himself. He would buy something grand for both his parents if things turned in their favor today.
The food was placed before them, steaming porridge, berries, oatcakes, rashers of bacon, and soft warm bread with butter, smelled delicious but Draco didn't think he could stomach a single bite.
Lady Malfoy broke the silence, "May the gods be with us today, my son."
"The gods may be… but what of the King?"
Lady Malfoy sighed and put down the bite oatcake she was about to eat. "Yes, the King… I have a good idea of how the council members will vote but his majesty has always been hard to read."
She met Draco's gaze and gave him a piercing look, "I know you met with the King. I hope that whatever you said will have persuaded him to see us in a favorable manner."
"When we find out who did this. Who framed us…I will make them pay for the wrong they have done."
Lady Malfoy gave her son an approving look. Draco could see the rage in her eyes, "I have no doubt. I'll help you."
Draco smiled another true and happy smile.
Lord Malfoy joined his family just as mother and son were finishing their meal and managed only a few bites of food. He too looked tired and if truth be told, afraid. Draco hated seeing his father like this. Despite the veneer of practiced arrogance and superiority, he could see the cracks. The heavy lines on his forehead, the sallowness of his skin, the despair in his eyes. They were Malfoys. They didn't deserve this suffering.
Then a loud pounding sounded from the main doors. The guards knocked again and then a muffled voice came from outside, "It's time Lord Malfoy, my prince. The King and council have assembled."
The halls were empty as Draco and Lord Malfoy walked to the great hall. Guards flanked them on either side with one guard trailing behind. These were not the palace guards who watched their doors for the past weeks but the King's personal royal guardsmen. They wore polished steel armor with ruby-encrusted phoenixes on their chest plates and phoenixes on their helms. When Draco was a boy he wanted to join the royal guardsmen and never thought about becoming the heir. He longed for those simple times when he was a child. He had no worries then. But he couldn't look to the past now. He needed to look ahead. Victory or defeat lay ahead, not back.
As they neared the great hall, they could see it was packed with courtiers. The most important and influential were already seated inside. As the accused neared the entrance the courtiers outside turned to stare unabashedly and whisper. Draco spotted courtiers wearing green and each one filled him with a growing sense of support. He and his father were not entirely alone. He still was a prince to the greens and he knew that he needed to keep his mind positive.
When they entered the great hall he could see the King seated on his throne. The other members of the advisory council were seated on either side of him. Draco looked from face to face, many of the council wore red, a few wore green, but he noted that Lord Granger was devoid of either color. But the man looked coldly down at the accused, distrust in his eyes. As he neared the front he spotted Hermione and her mother. He noticed that Hermione wove a red and green ribbon about her hood, a show of support for him and Potter. She met his eye and gave him a cautious smile but he frowned at her and turned away. He thought of his spurned letters and hers that he had thrown into the fire. He regretted his haste and anger but decided to harden his heart. He didn't want to be made a fool of again.
He and his father stood before the King and bowed low. "You may rise Prince Draco, and you too Lord Malfoy," the King said, "you have been summoned today to give testimony in the affair of the assassination attempt on Prince Harry."
The King waved his hand and Master Severus moved forward carrying two vials of what Draco assumed was veritaserum. Both he and his father were handed the vials and the King addressed the court, "As you all know, the truth serum will ensure your honesty, but it is not without its drawbacks. After you give your testimony, witnesses will have the chance to speak. Now if you please, Prince Draco, we will start with you."
Draco downed the vial and within moments he felt light as if he had drunk one too many cups of wine. His head swam and he felt uninhibited and calm. He looked up at the King who wore a blank expression, "State your name for the court."
"My name is Draco Lucius Malfoy"
"Who are your parents?"
"My parents are Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and Lady Narcissa Druella Malfoy"
"Describe the family crest of the house of Malfoy."
"The current rest of the house of Malfoy shows a checkered shield flanked by two dragons on either side. At the top of the shield, two serpents twist around each other and frame a flower with five petals."
Dumbledore paused and gave Draco a nod, "Thank you. Now we will proceed with the questioning. You have been called here today because you have been accused of hiring an assassin to murder a prince of the kingdom of Alban. How do you plead?"
"I am innocent, your majesty. I have never tried to have Prince Harry murdered by my hand or by anyone else's."
"Did you hire the assassin that tried to murder Prince Harry?"
"As I said before, I did not."
"Do you know who hired the assassin?"
"No"
"Were you involved in any part of the assassination attempt on Prince Harry?"
"No."
"Do you know anyone involved in the assassination attempt?"
"No"
Dumbledore once again held up the letter. He showed it to the crowd, "Did you write this letter?"
"No"
"Do you have anything else you wish to add in your defense?"
Draco looked at King Albus, "Your majesty, most honorable council members, and esteemed members of the court, I am innocent of this crime. My father is innocent of this crime. The house of Malfoy has and always will be loyal to the country and throne of Alban. If your majesty will inspect the seal you will see that it is the Malfoy crest, there is no denying it. But this version of the crest has not been in use since my father and mother were married. Look to our banners that hang in this hall, look at the flower. That same flower above the shield is missing in the crest on the letter. This letter is a forgery. The writer did not use the true crest of the house of Malfoy."
The King and council members nodded in agreement, "You speak the truth, the crest on this seal does not have a flower, just like you say."
The silence in the hall broke as the courtiers all began to whisper.
The King called for silence, then addressed Draco once more, "Do you have anything else to add?"
Draco then turned to face the courtiers. He earnestly bowed low to them, causing the crowd to gasp. A prince never bowed to his subjects before. As he rose he fixed an earnest expression on his face and said, "People of Alban, the Malfoy family is innocent. Harry Potter is my brother, not by blood but through the lessons we learned, the battles we have fought together, the days we worked to serve the great country of Alban. Hear me now, I Draco Lucius Malfoy, am innocent and pledge to find the true hand behind this crime and bring them to justice."
The crowd burst into a frenzy but they were silenced again by the King's voice. It was now Lucius Malfoy's time to speak. His father was instructed to drink the veritaserum and his questioning began. The questions were the same as Draco's and his father's answers were the same. All through the questioning, the King remained impassive. The reds on the council still wore confident looks of disdain but the greens were hopeful. It would all come down to the testimony of the servants.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Happy new year to you all! The trial will continue in the next chapter! :)