* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART FOUR
Brave New World
Chapter 59: Black and Blue
"Are you seriously telling me that you're going ahead with a plan that Harry thought up?" Theo whispered the following morning in the back of class.
"He managed to win a war with his plans; they can't all be bad," Draco argued.
"He won a war with your fiancé's plans," Theo corrected, "I mean, I know Harry's not stupid, and he is going to make a great Auror, but do you really think he could break into Gringotts?"
"He didn't win the war just by doing what Hermione told him," Draco muttered under his breath, "As much as Hermione would have you believe that when she's arguing with him. Getting out of Gringotts was his idea."
"Oh, when he jumped onto a blind dragon like a lunatic and flew it out of the roof of the bank, you mean? That dumb, crazy idea is what you're basing Harry's 'sound' logic on," Theo muttered sarcastically.
Draco rolled his eyes, "You're just jealous that I'm listening to him over you, for a change."
"No, I'm just saying, Harry is a typical Gryffindor, but Hermione has a lot of Ravenclaw in her. Without her methodical plans, Harry and Ron would probably have been eaten by a giant dog in first year, and we would all be living in Voldemort-Britain right now, saying yes my lord and murdering muggles left, right and centre," Theo said pointedly.
"Do you have to be so melodramatic to make your point, Theo?" Draco asked in exasperation.
"Yes, Draco, I do," Theo returned, "The point is that Harry doesn't think, ever. He just charges in brashly because…well because he's Harry, let's be honest."
"What would you have me do instead then?" Draco challenged his best friend.
"Just sit down over dinner and calmly explain that someone mentioned to you that she had lunches with Krum. Then say something like, I didn't know you were back in contact," Theo whispered.
Draco scoffed, "And have her fly off the handle in one of her Hermione Granger rants? She would immediately go on the defensive because she's a Gryffindor. Then she would inevitably hit me, that's how it normally ends ever since that row about Buckbeak…."
"And you didn't even get together till about four years later," Theo joked.
"Seriously, Theo, Harry's plan is better this time," Draco whispered, "I can find out if anything is going on without having to upset Hermione with accusations. For once in his life, Harry Potter has actually come up with a decent plan and given me good relationship advice."
"Famous last words," Theo muttered under his breath, but Draco ignored him.
That lunch break, Draco headed off to the ministry armed with Harry's invisibility cloak and his 'great plan'. It was relatively easy to slip into the covered courtyard unseen because it was a separate area which meant that there was no security wizard to bypass.
His heart sank when he saw her sitting on a bench with Viktor Krum.
"So then I caught the snitch and threw it back in his face," Krum was saying.
"Isn't that a little petty?" Hermione asked.
Krum shrugged, "Not in Quidditch. Taunting is part of the job."
"Hmm," Hermione mused, "From what Draco says, I think it's part of the job for Aurors too."
"You talk about him a lot."
"Yep, he is my fiancé," Hermione said.
"Even though-"
"Viktor, we have been over this," Hermione said calmly, "Even though he was horrible to me when you were at Hogwarts, things change, and people change. He isn't horrible to me now, and despite what you think, I do not deserve or need anything better."
Viktor sighed, "Do you not miss our breakfasts by the lake, feeding toast to the giant octopus?"
Hermione looked at him in disbelief, "Okay, firstly, it's a squid, and secondly, that wasn't even you! It was Harry that I had breakfast with by the lake that year which implies you watched from the boat, which is just creepy, by the way."
She got to her feet, and before Viktor could say anything else, she continued, "And these lunches are kind of creepy too. I've been playing nice, thinking you just didn't have any friends over here, but there's too much flirting going on now. I've told you, more than once, that I'm happy with Draco, so that's the end of this, whatever you think it is exactly."
Without another word, Viktor left the courtyard and, satisfied that nothing was going on, Draco was about to do the same. However, before he got the chance, the invisibility cloak was ripped off, and he was being pinned against a wall with a charm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Draco coughed against the choking charm, "How did you even know I was here?"
Hermione glared at him, "My best friend is Harry Potter. I would know the stench of his invisibility cloak anywhere. Why are you spying on me?"
"I-"
"Don't even think about trying to lie!"
Draco sighed, "A colleague said his wife had noticed you having lunches with Krum all the time. You told me you hadn't spoken to him since Bill and Fleur's wedding, so I was suspicious, and I spoke to Harry about it, and he said I should spy on you to see if there was anything to worry about before I confronted you."
"And you took Harry's advice, seriously?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "Harry, who flew off the handle at Daphne because he heard a tiny fragment of a conversation she was having with Bill? Right yeah, Harry is great with relationship advice."
"I can see now that taking his advice was a mistake," Draco conceded, "And I can also see that my suspicions were unfounded. Can you please let me down now?"
Hermione cancelled the charm, and Draco fell in a rather ungracious heap onto the floor.
"We will talk about this later," Hermione hissed, then she turned on her heel and left.
"Potter, you idiot!" Draco seethed under his breath when he walked into potions lab that afternoon.
"Oh, did Harry's great plan not go so great?" Theo asked sarcastically.
"She knew I was there because of the stench of your cloak, and she went fucking mental," Draco hissed, "I knew I shouldn't have listened to you."
"I did warn you," Theo pointed out.
"I know, and I didn't listen," Draco rolled his eyes, "You're right, Potter's plans always do go to shit without Hermione to improve them."
Harry frowned, "Harsh."
"True," Neville and Theo echoed.
"How mad was she?" Harry asked cautiously.
"She pinned me to a wall by my throat then dropped me in a heap to the ground and said we'll talk about this later," Draco replied, "Which either means we are going to have some very angry sex tonight or she is going to have a serious yell at me when I get in."
"Knowing you two, it will be the sex," Theo said.
Neville nodded his agreement, "Isn't that how you resolve…well, pretty much anything?"
"Not everything," Draco muttered.
"But if it works, don't knock it," Harry shrugged.
"Must be a Slytherin/Gryffindor thing," Neville joked.
"But either way, you're going to be black and blue tomorrow morning," Theo added with an amused grin.
"And you had better stay in your own damn house tonight," Draco warned his best friend.
"Don't worry; I will. I'm still scarred after the last time," Theo joked.
"Can we just not talk about that ever again?" Harry asked as he wrinkled his nose.
"Yep, great plan," Neville agreed while Draco blushed and Theo cackled.
When Draco limped into work the following morning, nobody gave him any sympathy.
"So Draco, how did it go last night?" Theo asked, too eagerly.
Draco grunted, "I need coffee."
"I can't tell. Was it the sex or the beating?" Harry asked jokingly.
"Both," Draco muttered. He poured black coffee into a cardboard cup and began to walk, well limp, towards the locker room with them.
"We have got to find a new way to resolve arguments."
Hermione bit her lip, "Sorry, I didn't mean to shove you off the bed. I just got a little…."
"Over-excited?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Let's go with that," She said sheepishly.
Draco smiled, "I am sorry, you know."
"For thinking I'm going to run off and leave you?" Hermione asked pointedly.
"For knowing you can do better than me and being terrified of the day you work that out," Draco replied sincerely.
"Draco, when are you going to work out that it isn't about that. It's about love. I know that it's a cheesy Gryffindor concept to you that people fall in love and get married and have kids because they love each other, but outwith your stupid pureblood circle, it does actually happen."
Draco's smile widened, "You're getting better at the whole sarcasm thing, you know."
"How can I not when I'm surrounded by you and Theo all of the time?" Hermione asked, her lips quirked up into a small smile.
Draco reached out and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "It isn't a foreign concept, trust me. Yes, it may be unusual for people like me to fall in love and get married and have kids for love, but that doesn't make it a foreign concept. It just takes someone exceptional to make a pureblood, or a Slytherin, break the rules."
Hermione smiled softly at him, "Do you ever wonder if we're bad for each other? We're both so volatile…."
"We are," Draco agreed, "But we aren't bad for each other in the way that you and Ron were. We aren't fire on fire. We are fire and ice, I can cool you down when I need to, and you can ignite me when you need to."
Hermione tried to hide a smile behind her hands.
"I just said something romantic, and now you're mocking me?"
"I'm not mocking you," Hermione said as she fought to contain a giggle, "It was just cheesy, okay? And I have never heard you be cheesy. I mean not even when you proposed to me."
Draco rolled his eyes, "That's the last time I try to be romantic, Granger."
"Granger?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow, "You haven't called me that for a long time, Malfoy."
The use of each others surnames sparked something. Even though Draco had been a Black for a while now, he still liked it when she called him Malfoy. Before long, they were a tangled up mess of kisses and limbs again.
"Mmhmm, we are so bad for each other," Hermione said against his lips.
"How come this is so good then?" Draco asked. His grey eyes sparkled, and she shrieked when he shoved her off of the bed.
"Draco!"
"What? Revenge is a dish best served cold, Hermione."
"Ugh!"
"Draco! Did you listen to a word I just said?"
Draco blinked, they were at the locker rooms, and he had not heard a word that Theo had said.
"I…uh…you were talking about Sadie?"
Theo narrowed his eyes at him, "I was, but you weren't listening to me. You just guessed, didn't you?"
"I was thinking about something else," Draco admitted, "So Sadie?"
"I'm worried about her," Theo admitted, "Since she found out about the twins, she's been down again, and I've struggled to get her to eat, you know?"
"It's a big adjustment Theo, you've got to give her more than a few days to come around," Draco said with a smile, "But she will."
"You're really good with all this pregnancy advice, you know?" Theo said, "I mean, I know why, but…."
"You didn't think I cared enough or paid enough attention to Pansy to notice?" Draco asked quietly, "You know, what I felt for her pales in comparison to the things Hermione makes me feel, but Theo…that loss was hard. I didn't know how much I wanted that baby until…."
Theo nodded briskly, "I know, and I'm sorry for bringing it up. I know you don't like talking about it."
Draco just nodded back, and he was glad that Harry and Neville caught up to them at that point. He was more than happy for the conversation to go back to general slagging of his and Hermione's ways of resolving arguments if it meant that he didn't have to think about Pansy.
When the floo whirred late one Thursday night, Daphne answered it immediately in the hope that it was her sister. When she saw Astoria's face in the fire, she breathed a sigh of relief, "Astoria! I'm so glad it's you. I was really hoping to speak to you before tomorrow."
"That's why I called," Astoria admitted, "Do you mind if I come through?"
"Of course not," Daphne said, and she stepped back from the fire.
Seconds later, Astoria stepped out and brushed herself down.
"Do you want coffee?"
Astoria nodded and sat down heavily at the dining room table, "Where's Harry?"
"Studying with Neville, they have a big assignment coming up," Daphne replied, "He wanted to stay, but I told him there was no point. He's not any use here hovering over me. I wasn't sure if you got my message about the hearing?"
"I did. I was just thinking about it before making a decision," Astoria admitted, "I imagine you're definitely going?"
Daphne nodded, "I have to. It's the preliminary hearing. They might need me to make a statement."
"I was invited to attend, but it isn't obligatory," Astoria said quietly, "And I can't decide if I should go or not, which is why I came here because, despite it all, I always want to run to my big sister when I need advice."
Daphne smiled at her, a little tearfully, "I was worried you wouldn't think of me as a sister anymore…now that you know the truth."
"See, now that's what I needed to talk to you about," Astoria admitted, "The truth…because the thing is Daphne…you hit me with a lot of information that night. Finding out that dad isn't really my dad didn't really hurt because he never treated me like his daughter anyway. You were always his favourite, his golden girl."
"Astoria-" Daphne began apologetically.
"And I know that's not your fault," Astoria continued, "And finding out that Phineas is my real father, that didn't actually surprise me as much as it should have done. He always treated me differently, and frankly, I don't know how I didn't work that one out of my own."
Daphne watched her sister nervously as the younger girl continued, "Finding out our mother, who I had always viewed as the victim who made the best she could out of a bad situation, was actually cold-blooded enough to plot to kill her husband, that hurt a lot but then when I think about it, I don't know why it surprises me. I mean, take what happened after the war, for example. We were both subjected to a year under a terrorist regime; you rebelled, you fought in the final battle and when we got home, our mother just up and left for France with our uncle. All summer, we stayed in that house with Draco, and we barely saw that woman. She cared about him more than anything, more than her own children."
Daphne sighed, "She was always selfish, Astoria. I just never realised quite how much."
Astoria nodded, "But do you know what the thing that hurts the most is?"
"The fact I lied to you," Daphne said quietly.
"For years," Astoria added, "My sister, my best friend, the girl who I had relied on for years, had kept something so huge from me. That hurt."
Daphne swallowed a lump in her throat, "Astoria, you always seemed so much more fragile than me, ever since the fire. I toughened my armour so that nobody could hurt me again, and it stayed like that until I met Harry, but you had been affected so badly by everything that happened, and I was terrified that telling you would tip you over the edge."
"I know you did it for the right reasons, Daphne," Astoria said quietly, "And that's why I will be able to forgive you, but the sting of my sister keeping something so huge from me isn't going to just disappear in a matter of weeks."
"I know," Daphne said honestly.
"So I don't know how I feel about going to that hearing tomorrow and having to relive all that hurt and confusion that I am just beginning to put to bed," Astoria finished.
Daphne nodded, "I understand, and I won't push you either way. If you go, I will be by your side the whole time, and I will wholly support you, and if you don't go, I'll fill you in if that's what you want, or I won't mention it if you would rather."
Astoria sighed and rested her head in her hands.
Daphne placed a cup of coffee in front of her and added softly, "And you don't have to decide now."
Astoria cradled the cup and gave a slight nod, "I think I'll go…I think I have to."
"Do you want to stay here?" Daphne asked. She glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight, "It's late, and you're obviously upset."
"Do you mind?"
Daphne shook her head and sat down across from her sister, "No, honestly, I'm glad for the company Tori, and I'm glad you're talking to me again. You're the only family that I care about. If I lost you…."
"I get it, Daph," Astoria promised as she reached across the table and took her sister's hand.
When Daphne walked into the kitchen the following day, Harry was making the coffee.
"I gather from the fact she was in our bed with you when I got home last night that Astoria is coming today?" Harry asked with a smile.
Daphne nodded, "She came over to talk about it last night. Are you sure Sumner is okay with you having the morning off for this?"
"It's fine, he understands," Harry promised her. They were both wearing their most official black dress robes, "Is Astoria awake yet?"
"She's just getting dressed," Daphne replied, "Merlin Harry, I feel sick to my stomach."
"Your mother and her lover are being tried for murder Daphne, I'm not surprised that you feel sick," Harry said gently as she placed a mug of coffee in her hands.
"They aren't being tried yet though, are they?" Daphne asked, "This is just the preliminary hearing."
Harry opened his mouth to explain, but as he did, Astoria walked into the kitchen.
"Morning Astoria, coffee?"
"Thanks, Harry," Astoria said, accepting the mug.
"We were just discussing the hearing," Daphne explained, "It's not really a trial yet."
"Well, it is," Astoria said with a frown, "The preliminary hearing is the start of the trial. They will be questioned under veritaserum before an impartially selected panel from the DMLE. The purpose of the hearing is to decide what charges they will be tried under, and then it will go to court properly for a full-blown trial."
Harry stared at Astoria in disbelief, "Uh…yeah. That was exactly what I was about to say."
"How did you know that?" Daphne asked in disbelief.
"Because, although everybody thinks I'm the stupid sister, I actually kind of want to be a lawyer," Astoria replied, "I've been taking night classes at the DMLE all summer."
"Wow," Daphne said, "How did I never know that about you?"
Astoria shrugged, "Because I never told you, I guess."
"In all fairness, even though that is the procedure, it hasn't been followed lately," Harry admitted, "During both wars, Death Eaters were sentenced at the preliminary hearing without a fair trial. It's how people like Sirius ended up spending 12 years in Azkaban for crimes they didn't commit."
"Which is why everything is being logged at the moment to make sure no slips like that ever happen again," Astoria added.
"Right," Daphne said, she glanced at the clock, "Well, on the bombshell that my baby sister is going to be a hotshot lawyer one day, I think it's time we headed to the Ministry."
They apparated to the ministry in silence and did not speak while their wands were checked and got in the lift. It took them down to level nine. Then they had to take the stairs to the lowest level of the ministry where the Wizengamot courtrooms were located.
"Ah, are you here for the preliminary hearing of Lareina and Phineas Greengrass?" A short witch with a blonde bob asked them.
Daphne nodded.
"Perfect, we were just waiting for you to arrive before we began," She said politely, "The hearing will take place in courtroom one since it's just preliminary."
She opened the door and motioned for them to go in. Daphne felt sick when she walked into the small courtroom and was met by the steely gaze of her mother. Harry took her hand and led her towards a seating area at the left of the room. Daphne reached behind her and grabbed Astoria's hand; her sister had gone white when she saw their mother.
On the right-hand side of the room was the panel. It consisted of ten people (none of whom were known to the Greengrass family). It had to be that way to ensure that they remained impartial.
At the head of the room, seated in a podium above them all, was a judge. He rose to his feet once the trio had entered the room and the door had been closed.
"All rise for the preliminary hearing to determine whether Lareina Greengrass nee Crouch and Phineas Greengrass should be tried for the murder of Cygnus Greengrass on the 25th of February 1998."
Everybody stood apart from Lareina and Phineas, who were chained to their chairs.
"Let us begin by ensuring that no illusions or disguises are at play here," The Judge said. Then he cast a charm that removed any charms or disguises.
When nothing happened, he then beckoned a man forward, "The subjects will now be given veritaserum to ensure that all answers they submit today are entirely truthful."
A small amount of veritaserum was forced down both of their throats, which Astoria found difficult to watch.
Then the Judge spoke once more, "I, Judge Harold Quince, ask the subject known as Lareina Greengrass to rise. Everyone else may be seated."
The chains on the chair opened, and Lareina rose to her feet.
"Can you confirm that you are Lareina Greengrass, formerly known as Lareina Crouch?"
"Yes."
"Do you confirm that you are here today in complete control of your mental faculties?"
"Yes."
Judge Quince nodded, "Then the questioning shall commence. In the days and weeks leading up to the 25th of February, 1998, did you plot to kill your husband, Cygnus Greengrass?"
"Yes."
Astoria squeezed hard on Daphne's hand, and Daphne squeezed back.
"Did you plot to do this with his brother, Phineas Greengrass?"
"Yes."
"Was this because he was your lover?"
"Yes."
"In these discussions, were you the one who was going to deliver the fatal blow?"
"No."
"So it was your idea to kill your husband?"
"Yes."
"But you would have had your lover do the deed?"
"Yes."
Daphne swallowed hard; she didn't want to turn and look at Astoria right now.
The Judge gave another slight nod, "On the night of the 25th of February, 1998, can you confirm that you and Phineas went to the safe house where Cygnus was hiding intending to commit murder?"
"I can."
"And can you confirm that you witnessed Phineas kill his brother that night?"
"I can."
"Can you tell me what the murder weapon was?"
"Yes."
"What was it?"
"A piece of pipe."
The Judge looked down at his notes and nodded, "That fits in with the coroner's report perfectly. You may be seated once more, Mrs Greengrass."
Daphne chanced a glance at Astoria and was heartbroken to see tears streaming down her face.
"I needed to hear it," Astoria whispered, "So don't say that I shouldn't have come."
"Okay," Daphne replied softly.
"Can all be seated except for Phineas Greengrass?"
The chains on his seat opened, and he rose to his feet. Phineas was a regally handsome man with dark brown hair and sculpted features. Although he was over 50 now, he was still a good-looking man.
"Can you confirm that you are Phineas Greengrass?"
"Yes."
"Can you confirm that you have never been known under any other name?"
"Yes."
"Do you confirm that you are here today in complete control of your mental faculties?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then the questioning may commence," Judge Quince said, "Can you confirm that in the days and weeks leading up to the 25th of February, 1998, you plotted with Lareina Greengrass to kill your brother, Cygnus Greengrass?"
"Yes."
"And can you confirm that you did this because Lareina Greengrass was your lover?"
"Yes."
"Did you want to kill your brother?"
"No."
"Then why did you agree to it?"
"I would have done anything for Lareina."
The Judge shook his head marginally, probably at the ludicrous idea that someone would kill for love.
"On the night of the 25th of February, 1998, did you forcefully enter the safe house where your brother stayed?"
"Yes."
"And did you go there with the intention of murder?"
"Yes."
"Did you dress like a Death Eater to stage the attack?"
"Yes."
"And can you confirm that, with a piece of pipe, you killed your brother that night?"
"No."
An audible gasp went around the courtroom. The Judge looked up in surprise, "Did Lareina Greengrass kill him then?"
"No."
"Was the murder weapon something other than a piece of pipe?"
"No."
Judge Quince frowned and leaned forward, "Then please explain, in your own words Mr Greengrass, exactly what happened on the night of the 25th of February, 1998."
Phineas took a slow breath and began to talk, "We broke into the safe house and located Cygnus. He knew we were coming; it was like he was waiting for us. We had dressed as Death Eaters to divert attention from ourselves, but he knew who we were beneath the cloaks. I hesitated when he said he knew I was better than this, so Lareina egged me on. She handed me a piece of pipe and told me to do it. She said if I didn't, then we could never be together. I picked up the pipe and struck him on the head. He fell to the ground."
Phineas paused for a breath, "Then Lareina panicked and apparated away, leaving me to deal with the clean-up. I checked for a pulse and realised that Cygnus was still alive. I knew I couldn't heal him because he would go to the ministry, and I would go to Azkaban. But I could not bring myself to kill my brother, so I healed his head wound and gave him the draught of living death. When he was examined, the coroner believed that he was dead. We then had a funeral for him, and I had him placed in the family crypt beneath Greengrass house."
Daphne stared at Phineas in disbelief; Astoria's hand had gotten hot and sweaty in hers.
The Judge's frown deepened, "Are you telling me that Cygnus Greengrass is alive right now, in the crypt beneath your family home?"
"Yes," Phineas replied.
Judge Quince conjured up a Patronus, "Any available Aurors. We have extremely reliable information that Cygnus Greengrass is alive but under the influence of the draught of living death in the crypt beneath the Greengrass family home. Get down there straight away and confirm this information. Then get that man to St Mungo's."
A great silver bear bounded out of the room.
Quince then said, "Lareina Greengrass, were you aware of this information?"
"No," Lareina replied.
Daphne looked at Harry in disbelief. He looked just as stunned as she felt, and poor Astoria just looked wiped.
"I suggest a break in the hearing while we wait for this information to be confirmed," Quince said, "I want everybody back in here in ten minutes to decide on the charges that should be brought to trial."
They all filtered out of the room, apart from Lareina, Phineas and the Aurors guarding them. Once they were sitting down on a bench in the corridor outside, Daphne voiced her thoughts, "Harry…if it's true, what does it mean?"
"It means he won't look anything like the man you remember," Harry said honestly, "The draught of living death will have kept him alive, it will have kept his heart beating which kept blood pumping through his body, so that means there will be no brain damage. But some other organs may have deteriorated because he hasn't been eating or drinking, and he will be deadly thin because he hasn't burned any energy for over a year, so his muscle mass will have deteriorated."
"But will he recover?" Daphne asked quietly.
"If he wants to," Harry replied gently, "If he doesn't have anything to live for, I don't know if he will survive the fight, but if he does…then yes, in time, he should recover."
"You have to be his something to fight for, Daphne," Astoria said quietly.
Daphne frowned at her sister, "How can you say that, Astoria? After the way he treated you?"
"He never loved me because I was a reminder of what mother had done to him," Astoria said, without looking at Daphne, "It wasn't my fault, but it wasn't pleasant either. But he loved you, Daphne. He had great dreams and wishes for you. If you can be his something to live for, then you should be because we don't both have to lose a father over this."
Daphne gave her sister a tearful hug. This hearing had not gone the way that anybody had expected.
"The trial shall recommence in two minutes!" A call from within the courtroom said.
Silently they all traipsed back in and took their seats. Once everybody had re-entered the room, Judge Quince rose to his feet.
"I can confirm that the defendant's story is true. Cygnus Greengrass has been recovered in critical condition and taken immediately to the intensive care ward of St Mungos. With this knowledge, I put forward the motion that Phineas Greengrass be charged with "Attempted Murder" and Lareina Greengrass with "Accessory to the Cause." All those in favour, raise your hand and say aye."
All ten hands were raised, and an echo of "Aye" went around the courtroom.
"Then it is agreed that we will gather in two weeks, on Monday the 24th of October, for the trial of Phineas and Lareina Greengrass. Hearing dismissed."
He hit his hammer down on the desk, and everybody began to leave the room. Once they were outside, Daphne said, "Harry, I have to-"
"Get to St. Mungo's, I know," Harry finished, "I'm coming with you."
"But you need to get back to work."
"They'll understand," Harry assured her, "Astoria-"
Astoria shook her head, "I'm not coming. He isn't my father; he never was. He wouldn't want me there, and I don't want to be there, but you two need to go. I'll meet with a lawyer to discuss the charges and come over later to go over it."
Daphne nodded in a dazed sort of way and let Harry lead her out of the ministry.
* ~ TBC ~ *