The retribution had started only days after Voldemort's defeat. The wizarding world was angry - too many had lost loved ones to Voldemort's brief reign of terror, and those who had escaped had still lived each day in a state of constant fear that they might be next. Just as quickly as the tabloid press had started to publish pro-Voldemort propaganda once it was clear he had won, it now posted angry appeals that those responsible for the terror be brought to swift justice.
This desire for retribution had swept across the wizarding world, a contagious disease that turned grief into fury. Even headed by Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Ministry of Magic was unable to hold back this tide of fury. It had, despite Kingsley's objections, become official Ministry policy that anybody merely suspected of collaborating or sympathising with Voldemort during his reign could be imprisoned without a prompt trial.
The result? Hundreds of Slytherin-connected families had been detained. Without doubt, many of them had supported Voldemort's return, but others had not. And without a trial, there was no way of differentiating between the innocent and the guilty.
This, however, was far from Harry Potter's mind as he lay in bed with his red-haired, and quite naked, girlfriend. Several months now had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts. These had been months of grief and of untold sorrow; there had been funeral after funeral, his attendance expected at each and every one to mark the sacrifices that had been made, to a great extent, on his behalf. Now, with the worst behind him and Ginny by his side, he rather felt deserving of a period of retreat and insulation from the outside world.
He smiled at Ginny. She was beautiful. Her hair seemed to flicker like a crackling flame even as it lay still on the pillow and on her shoulder. There was happiness in her eyes, where there had been only void for so many weeks after the death of Fred.
"That was good", he said, his chest heaving.
"Very." She agreed. She reached out to stroke his shoulder, her fingers dancing lightly over his skin.
There was audible commotion downstairs. The sound of clanging pots and pans and Ron's mirthful shouts had become a familiar one since the Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione had moved into Grimmauld Place. It was only a temporary arrangement; none of the four had any particular desire to stay permanently in a place infused with so many bad memories, but it was spacious and removed in a way that the constantly-bustling Burrow was not.
"Sounds like Hermione and Kreacher are arguing over who makes breakfast again," Ginny giggled.
"Kreacher will win," Harry predicted. The elf seemed to genuinely enjoy making them food; though all four had been keen to emphasise that he did not need to cater to their every need, only Hermione's protestations still persisted.
Ginny nodded and laughed very softly. After a little while, she asked: "Do you know what you're going to do yet?"
"Nope." Harry replied. "And I'm in no rush to make a decision."
"That's good." She soothed. "But we do need to think about Hogwarts. And if we're not going back, we need to find a different place. We can't stay here forever."
Technically, Harry and Ginny both had the option to return to Hogwarts for their final year. Harry, of course, had missed his, while Ginny would naturally be entering her seventh year. However, all those who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts had been offered a choice. They could either return to the school to finish their education, or they could choose not to, in which case they would be considered graduated regardless. Although the school was heavily encouraging all students to come back, it had been considered insensitive to force those who had fought to return to the scene where so many had witnessed friends die.
"I'm not sure I want to go back." Harry said quietly. How would he be able to sit in the Great Hall without seeing the slouched, cold bodies of Remus, or Tonks, or Fred?
"Me neither," Ginny agreed. Her eyes turned cold for a second, and Harry knew that her thoughts were the same as his.
"Hermione won't approve." Harry laughed. He was certain that she would return for her final year, although he had not yet consulted her on the subject.
Ginny snorted. "If she goes back, Ron won't be happy. Can't imagine he's keen for an extra year in school."
Harry shared her laugh.
"It's not as though we need to go back, anway." Ginny said, her tone now more serious. "We'll both have options. I can't see the Auror Department turning you down if you apply, especially given how depleted it is."
"True." Harry agreed. "Same for you, I reckon. And I reckon every Quidditch team in the league will be after your signature, if you choose to go down that route."
"Anyway, enough of the serious stuff." Ginny said. "We don't have to decide anything now. We've earned that."
Her hand slipped under the blanket, and Harry gasped when she grasped him. "Now, I think we have some catching up to do."
Harry smiled. "I think you might be right." He leaned in to kiss her, and he ran his hands through her hair, and then she rolled on top of him, and the cover fell away, leaving them bare.
Then, though, came a sharp knock on the door.
"Are you two awake?" Hermione called from outside.
Ginny groaned and rolled off him. She pulled the cover back over them so that they were decent.
"What is it, Hermione?" She called, hardly concealing her frustration.
Hermione opened the door and, judging by her blush as she saw their bare shoulders peeking out from under the blanket, immediately regretted having done so. She quickly averted her eyes.
"Oh, well, sorry, I just came to tell you that breakfast was ready, if you wanted to join me and Ron."
She quickly retreated and was careful to close the door behind her.
"Remind me never to open the door to Ron and Hermione's room," Harry laughed, clambering out of bed and reaching for some clothes.
"Please, don't put that image in my head." She replied, making retching noises, to Harry's amusement.
A few minutes later, they joined Ron and Hermione at the kitchen table. Two plates of steaming food were already waiting for them, courtesy of Kreacher. Ron shot Harry a dirty look as the latter sat down; Hermione had evidently told him what she had seen. Ron may have come to accept his friend's relationship with his sister, but the idea of their consummating that relationship still seemed to be one that he was uncomfortable with.
"Delicious food, Kreacher." Harry said as he tasted his breakfast. The elf was evidently gratified to hear his praise.
"Have you read the news, Harry?" Hermione asked, thrusting that morning's Prophet in his direction.
He glanced at the front page's headline as he ate: Wizarding world applauds as new You-Know-Who sympathisers caught.
Harry rolled his eyes. "No sign it's letting up, then."
"It's outrageous!" Hermione protested. "They're locking people up without trials."
"The Ministry has promised they will get trials eventually," Ginny pointed out. "Kingsley's said it himself. Doesn't it make sense to round these people up before all of Voldemort's supporters can scatter? If they're innocent, they'll be released when they get their trial."
"But when are these promised trials going to start?" Hermione demanded. "I know Kingsley's trying his best, but this is unacceptable. If the Ministry can start arresting without the guarantee of an imminent trial, nobody is safe."
Harry agreed, but he was in no mood for a debate. He stayed silent. He exchanged a look with Ron, who also seemed determined to remain reticent.
"Okay," Ginny said. "Obviously I agree that the Ministry shouldn't be able to detain anyone it wants indefinitely. But that's not what's happening here; the Ministry's just trying to make sure nobody slips through its fingers. Hermione, they haven't managed to get all the Death Eaters yet. They haven't got Rookwood, for example. And even if these Slytherin families being arrested are innocent, you never know, some of them might know something. They might be able to help."
Harry held his breath. The conversation had just, in a moment, become highly volatile. Rookwood was the piece of dirt who had killed Fred Weasley. Although Harry was more inclined to agree with Hermione on this subject, he could see that Ginny was making an emotional argument, driven by her desperation that the person who had killed her brother be brought to justice. He shot Hermione a pointed expression, silently urging her to drop the subject.
"I understand what you're saying, Ginny." Hermione said in a voice intended to be soothing, but which Harry suspected could equally be perceived as patronising. "But just think about it for a second. If the Ministry had the power to punish people without a trial, what would have happened to Harry after the dementor attack in Little Whinging a few years back?"
"That's different." Ginny protested, but failed to elaborate.
Hermione's piercing eyes turned to Harry. "What do you think?" She asked him.
"I really don't want to weigh in on this. But sure, it worries me. I can't think of many Slytherins that I liked too much, but I don't like the idea that they're being rounded up just in case they know something."
He could feel Ginny glaring at him. She'd undoubtedly expected him to take her side.
"Exactly." Hermione agreed. "There are plenty of Slytherins who wanted nothing to do with Voldemort, even if they had to keep quiet about it."
Ron snorted disbelievingly, but Hermione was not deterred.
"Harry, why don't you speak out about it?" She suggested. "You might be the only one who can stop this madness. If you publicly opposed what's happening, maybe the press would stop demanding these arrests."
"C'mon, Hermione." Ginny intervened. "If Harry speaks out against this, the press will just turn on him. The Prophet's always had it in for him."
"Hermione, I was really hoping to keep out of the public eye for a while." Harry pointed out. "I've had enough media attention for a lifetime."
"I know, Harry." She soothed. "I know you've always hated the press. But this is important. You'll never be able to totally escape your fame, but you can use it for good."
"Let the guy eat his breakfast in peace," Ron said, finally breaking his silence. Harry sensed that his position on this question was closer to Ginny than it was to his girlfriend.
Hermione did not take her eyes off Harry, however, forcing him to respond. "Look, I'm not ready to talk to the press again. But how about this - I'll arrange a meeting with Kingsley, try and persuade him to do more to stop this. Would that satisfy you?"
She did not seem fully content. However, under the withering gazes of Ginny and Ron she relented. "Okay, that seems like a good first step, I suppose."
With that, the tension began to clear. Harry resumed eating his breakfast which had, by now, gone cold. He knew, however, that he had not heard the last from Hermione Granger on this subject.
NOTES
This story is also available on AO3
I wrote this because I was interested in the idea that the defeat of Voldemort might trigger a kind of wizarding McCarthyism. If this is a concept that you think is worth persevering with, let me know in the comments. If you think it's rubbish, I'd still like to hear your thoughts. To a great extent, whether I continue with this story will depend on what you guys think, so let me know!