Chapter 3

Malfoy recited The Babbitty Rabbitty poem that he had made up when he was five years old as a summer assignment from his governess. It was only 12 lines long and he repeated them over and over again. He had his eyes shut and used his fingers to help him keep count. He had stopped only once that day and that too because of the mandatory lunch time routine. It was just a charade- detainees, a softer word for prisoners, would line up outside their rooms/cells to receive their meals which they then had to finish within 5 minutes when they were forced back into their rooms. Maybe it was a show of power, maybe it was a way of keeping count but given that none of them had wands and that they were constantly surrounded by entire taskforces of magical law enforcement officers, it was most definitely a way to break the spirits of the prisoners.

He was currently reciting the poem for the 1527th time, on his 75th day in the detainee camp. The aurors came every evening to have a chat about his situation which sounds pleasant except the 'aurors' were really professional torturers, 'chat' referred to the enhanced interrogation/torture techniques and 'situation' predominantly meant his role as a death eater. Never mind, that he never wanted to become one, never wanted to kill anyone and most certainly was rooting for his arch enemy Harry Potter to win.

When the Battle of Hogwarts, there had been a small window of time, when he sat in a corner of the Great Hall in a complete daze with his parents. Maybe it was the fact that he had thrown Potter his wand, maybe it was the fact that no one seemed to pay him any attention, maybe it was all that death surrounding them, but he had felt, no, hoped, that this was a turning point. He had thought that perhaps everything would go back to normal. But that was a young, naive, foolish thought. The aurors had come for his father first, then him and he still didn't understand why they hadn't run. But he was so tired. So tired of running and letting others dictate his life. He wondered where his mother was. He had seen his father at the far end of the prison during lunch time but his mother... He missed her so much.

And the aurors, they had promised all the detainees a fair trial. They had said that the waiting time would be an opportunity to share any information that would help catch the bad guys. Never mind, that for them, he, was the bad guy. In the first few weeks, he had willingly offered up information, although judging by their expressions, it was information they already knew. They then demanded more information, they didn't care that he didn't have anything more to offer, they didn't care that he was 17 or that he had been in Hogwarts, a glorified bully and a death eater more so in name than reputation. They began breaking in and violating his mind. They didn't like the fact that he was a good occlumens. It was proof that he was hiding secrets they claimed.

It was vile and despicable but that had been day 27 and since then, he had taken to protect his mind more vigorously. Anything that would help him focus and put up barriers against the mental attacks. Now, on day 75, he knew that the best Legilimens that came up against him could't crack the barrier. Afterall, he had had the best training from Snape. And he had practised, oh ever so hard especially whenever he had been expected to meet the Dark Lord. He knew his trial was coming up soon. The dumb looking lanky Auror -Henriett or something, had said as much.

"And so we love Babbitty Rabbitty and her cackling stump for saving us all from the bad men." That was the last line of Draco's 2000th repetition. As if to reward him, the cell door opened and he was beckoned outside. As he walked towards the interrogation chambers, he began noticing small differences to the usual routine, for starters there were 3 aurors accompanying him instead of the usual two. Instead of leading him to the usual room, they led him to a larger set of doors which opened to a garden. Malfoy, steeled himself. Change was dangerous, change could confuse a person and leave them vulnerable to defend themselves.

"Draco!" he heard a voice call out to him. A voice he hadn't heard in 75 days. His mother.

Malfoy shook his head gently. This had to be a trick.

"Draco, my dear boy" Narcissa got up from a bench in the park, walked up to him rapidly and wrapped her arms around him. "Draco" she whispered, tears running down her face onto his shirt.

He could smell Lavender and Lilac. He reached out and toucher her face. She broke into a smile he hadn't seen in a long time.

"It's okay" she reassure him. "It's going to be okay.

The lanky Auror came over to break them up and bid them to sit on a stone table in the middle of the park. He was joined by his black haired partner, Auror Rubbards and someone else he didn't know.

"I am Head Councillor Farringer, this is Auror Henriett and Auror Rubbards", the new wizard introduced in a grating high-pitched voice. "Your trial will start in less than two weeks and depending on whether you cooperate or not, it could last anywhere between a few days to a few months" he screeched bluntly. "Your punishment could be as simple as paying 10000 galleons if you agree to our terms to spending the rest of your life in Azkaban. Your call ofcourse" he added with a cruel smile."

10000 galleons was nothing to the Malfoys, there had to be a catch, figured Malfoy.

"Oh tosh, tell us the terms and don't leave out the details" Narcissa demanded without looking phased in the least. She turned to Draco and gave him a soft smile while squeezing his hand in hers.

"Mother." Draco breathed. It was really her.

He was woken at a very early hour and dragged to the fireplace. Surrounded by over 10 aurors, he wondered what they thought he would do? Enter the floo and shout out 'Malfoy Manor'? They magically bound him to two of the aurors who then flooed into the ministry. They led him to the elevators and Malfoy realised that they must have chosen the early hour so that no ministry official or journalist would see him. They dragged him to the court room where Henriett made a crude joke about hippogriffs and cages. That was when he saw the ugly looking metal cage in the front of the courtroom.

It was all part of the plan, he realised. A plan that involved his complete and utter degradation and embarrassment. Malfoy realised then with a surprise, that he didn't care. He walked to the cage leisurely and sat himself on the chair. As Harriett and Rubbards placed magical enchantments and spells as they wound him to the chair, Malfoy's only regret was that he had left the last bread roll uneaten the previous night.

With a final clang, the cage was shut and the aurors left to their guard positions. Malfoy gently shut his eyes. The trial was to start at 10 and it was barely 6 by his estimate. He was bloody well going to take a nap when he could.

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. They motivate me to write better. Sorry for all the typos. I will try to be more careful from here on. The next chapter will be the trial!