Someday, I will own something of great value. This will not be Harry Potter, as J K Rowling already owns it.
The Trial
Ryua woke up August Twelfth feeling slightly sick to her stomach. She couldn't remember why for a moment, then as Lucius yelled down the hallway for her to get her lazy, useless self out of bed and halfway presentable, she remembered. This was the day of her trial. It was set at noon, in the Ministry for Magic courtroom 10. With a groan, Ryua rolled out of bed and forced herself into the shower.
She woke up immediately with a blast of cold water. With a yelp, she turned the heat back up, remembering that Toppy always used cold water to rinse the house-elf-magic residue off everything. Heat only made it sticky.
Once clean, she sorted through her robes, eventually deciding on pure black (both to show respect for the dead and the seriousness of the trial), with a very basic cut, although made of light silk, so she wouldn't suffocate outside, and a matching cloak so she wouldn't freeze in the underground courtrooms.
And, just to top it off, she neatly tied her hair up in a bun, something she'd never done willingly. Today, however, it would probably be best to appear professional and polished.
Or she could go for the whole, disheveled, weepy look, but she doubted that would work. They'd see right through to the fact that she wasn't really that upset he was gone from her life. She hadn't meant to kill him, precisely, but she wasn't going to act like she wished he was still around.
Lucius, looking severe and proper as always, nodded at her appearance. "Eat something quickly, and make sure you don't get any crumbs on your robes."
"Yes, father," Ryua said, suppressing a sigh. She wasn't a sloppy toddler anymore...
They flooed directly there, arriving well before time for the trial. "Father, why are we here so early? If I may ask."
Amazingly enough, he gave her a civil reply, crossing over to the wizard in the check-in booth. "It is always prudent to show up a little early for something of this importance, Ryua. And also," he said, as Ryua's wand was handed back, "I have something I would like to check in on."
Ryua was a little disturbed by the lightness of his tone, and wondered just what he was so excited about looking in on at work. Interestingly enough, he didn't go down to his office level, but went right down to the courtroom level. And then stopped dead in front of a door, and leaned casually against it. Ryua followed suit, wondering what they were there for. It didn't take long to find out.
What looked like the entire Wizengamut filed out of the door they were standing opposite of, followed by Harry and Mr. Weasley. Ryua started up off the wall in surprise at seeing Harry in a place like this. Fortunately, her father rose lazily at the same time, saying, "Ah, Arthur. How did it go?"
"Lucius," Mr. Weasley said coldly, "It went fine, of course. Harry got off no trouble, as was to be expected for such a minor incidence." Ryua was impressed. Not many people could talk to her father that way, they all acted like some sort of subordinate, or slavering lapdog.
"Of course. We must be glad that Mr. Potter got off so... easily. Well, don't let me hold you up..."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Harry, let's go." And with that, Mr. Weasley steered a very relieved and confused looking Harry into the elevator.
"Father, what was Harry - Potter doing here?" I really have to remember to drop the first name when I'm at home...
Lucius didn't seem to notice her slip though, and just said, "A small incident in which he used a Patronus charm over the summer."
"A Patronus? There were dementors at Potter's house? Doesn't he live with a bunch of muggles?"
"Yes, two of them. And he did a remarkable job of getting rid of them, all on his own. Odd, I'd expect someone to be watching over him a bit more than that."
Ryua didn't even bother to ask how Lucius knew there were exactly two dementors at Harry's house. She knew he'd been communicating regularly with the Dark Lord over the summer, and was certain it was a plan to kill him. Funny, how he just seemed to keep avoiding all these death plans...
The conversation didn't go much further, of course, because the Wizengamut was filing back into the courtroom, Dumbledore and Snape included. Odd, wasn't he kicked off the Wizengamut? And when did Snape become a member?
She didn't mind seeing a few friendly faces there, however. They stood in front seats beside her father, in the witness stands. They hadn't actually been there, of course, so the only real witnesses were Zabini and Ryua. But they would vouch for her sanity and innocence.
Not that I have much of either...
And so it started. Fudge opened the court, introducing the Wizengamut, and the jury of impartial judges, the Zabinis, and her defendants. "The case in question is Malfoy versus Zabini. All may be seated, thank you."
Ryua knew that acting really upset would only get her in trouble with the truth spells set on her. The little vrondi were invisible to her, of course, so she couldn't gauge how her reactions were showing, like a muggle lie detector. They would make her glow bright blue when she told a falsehood, prompting requestioning. So, she kept impersonal as much as possible, her only emotion being the worry of getting back into school.
First, Delores Umbrage asked her to recount what had gone on that day, to which Ryua had to respond that she had been shopping for her birthday. Which seemed innocent enough until one wizard asked why she had gone down Knockturn Alley. "Most young witches would be content to stay in Diagon Alley,"
"Yes sir. And I did most of my shopping there. I went down Knockturn to find some Rowan bark. The school supply store was out." Lucky for me it actually was, I'd hate to say I was after Acromantula fangs and such.
"Hmm," Umbrage said in an unpleasantly screechy voice, "I see. And you were attacked by Mr. Zabini..."
"On my way back to... meet my family." Ryua was careful to pick her words not to set off any alarms, but not to incriminate herself as a Dark witch either. "I was taking a shortcut through an alley. I heard footsteps..."
"Yes?" Fudge actually seemed to be trying to be kind and understanding.
"So, I looked back to see if anyone was there. I couldn't see anything in the shadows, so I started walking again, faster. I knew someone was following me then, so I decided to gamble on my own speed and the inaccuracy of my stalker and ran. It didn't pay off. I was caught by a tripping charm, and lost my wand, depriving me of my protection. The wind was knocked out of me, I couldn't breathe, let alone scream. I was slammed up against the wall, and he secured me in place with a livingstone spell, creating manacles around my wrists and ankles. He kept pressing down on top of me," Much to her annoyance, her voice started to shake just a little at the memory, the fear... "I couldn't draw breath. I was blacking out at this point. I kept trying to pull free..."
"You've read my report on her injuries, Minister." The mediwitch Ryua remembered spoke up from behind in the court somewhere. "The scars will be visible for the rest of her life, the ones on her wrists most plain to see."
"I believe we can take your word on that..."
"Maybe we should check, Minister, just in case!" That woman seems to enjoy this far too much...
"Very well, Ms. Umbrage." Ryua rose from her seat, and instead of waiting for Percy Weasley to come and pay witness, she walked right up to where she sat, pulling up her right sleeve and raising her wrist not quite in her face. "As you can see, I was severely injured. My brother brought me home and stopped the blood loss, and you mediwitch took care of the rest. If he hadn't acted so quickly, I probably wouldn't be in any condition to stand here. Now, if you are satisfied?"
"Oh... yes, of course dear," but Ryua was already turned away, going back to her seat.
"Erm, right. Now, if you would continue your narrative..."
"Of course Minister. I was losing consciousness, and he was almost... inside..." she shook her head, and continued, her voice strong and clear again. "Something inside me snapped. I suddenly had complete access to my magic again. Maybe it was fear or anger, or maybe divine intervention, I don't know, and I don't really think it matters. I wasn't thinking clearly, having been unable to breathe properly for nearly five minutes. I just wanted him off of me, away from me, as fast as possible. My innate magic took me at my words, as it were, and flung him away. If I had been facing down the alley, he probably would have been stunned, bruised, maybe broken. As it was, the other wall was only four feet away. The force would have thrown him easily twenty feet. It was enough to crack his skull. The manacles disappeared, and I fell onto the ground. I really did black out that time, I'm not sure for how long. I don't think it could have been for more than five or ten minutes, judging by the amount of my blood on the ground, and the fact that there was still a spreading pool of it under him. I realized he was dead..."
"Dead people don't bleed. Did you even check for a pulse?" Umbrage asked, seemingly determined to sentence someone for something.
"Ms. Umbrage, there were bits of skull and brain on the wall. Just because his heart hadn't got the unsent message that the brain was dead doesn't mean he was alive." Ryua hid a smile of triumph at the sickened expression that crossed the witch's face. "I left to find my family and the authorities. Draco had already led them out to find me, luckily, and my mother hauled along an auror..."
"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" Umbrage asked sharply.
"Yes. Being twins, Draco can sense when Ryua is in trouble or pain. We found her coming up Knockturn Alley, and Draco took her home, away from the excitement."
"And the missus did bring me, ma'am," an auror Ryua didn't quite recognize piped up from the back.
Umbrage's face got ugly. "Well, I think we've thoroughly heard your side of the story. Mrs. Zabini, if you please?"
The witch, dressed all in black, rose. Immediately, she started in on a tirade of how she mercilessly, without warning murdered her son in cold blood. Her husband looked downright uncomfortable.
"Minister, if I may interject?"
"Professor Severus Snape, acknowledged."
"Thank you. Ryua had been receiving unwelcome attentions from Mr. Zabini throughout the year. She made it clear, numerous times, that she was not interested. The most substantial case was during the Christmas Ball. Zabini caught her out in the garden, after implicit instructions not to touch her. He tried to kiss her, she bit his tongue..."
"Halfway off, according to Madam Pomfery..." Dumbledore put in.
"And said that if he touched her again, she would kill him." Snape concluded.
"And just how did you come across this information, if they were in the garden?"
Dumbledore rose this time. "Madam Pomfery informed me of his injury, of course. And Professor Snape enquired with Miss Malfoy as to what happened. And, I have it from a very reliable student, who was two rosebushes down."
"If you wish, you could always cross check. I believe she is still under the truth spell, correct?" Snape seemed to recognize the fact that Umbrage wouldn't accept the word of a student making out in a bush as gospel truth.
"I don't think that will be necessary." Fudge said firmly. "From all that I have seen today, Miss Malfoy's claim that she was acting only in self defense, and with a previous warning to boot, is completely true. It will be placed on your permanent record of course..."
"Yes minister," Ryua said quietly.
"But you will not be judged a murderer. If the jury agrees?" Ryua held her breath, looking at the collection of witches and wizards. One by one, they all nodded. "Then I rule the defendant not guilty. All charges dismissed." Everyone left. Snape came up, as if to squeeze her shoulder or something, but thought better of it and instead nodded, following Dumbledore out.
And for once, Ryua wasn't the least bit anxious about being alone with her father. She was just completely tired, all the tension she hadn't actually been aware of had flowed out. "I'm glad that's over. Although, why do you suppose Mr. Zabini didn't say anything?"
Lucius smirked as he led his daughter out. "I made it clear to him that his son was at fault. And that he would do well to leave our family alone."
"And how did you do that?"
"With a little gold, and a lot of dark threats."
Hmm, maybe he's got some good points after all. Nah, he just didn't want to be father of a murderer... like he can talk.
Author's note: Vrondi, and the truth spell, come from Mercedes Lackey's books. (Something everyone should read, by the way) And I'm sorry it took so long to write this chapter. But have any of you ever actually seen a real murder trial? Or had to deal with the family of the victim? I had to make it up. And of course, Judge Judy helped...
Avalon 65 is my new demi-beta. If anyone else has suggestions for plot ideas, I could really, really use the ideas.
And someone asked if Narcissa was afraid for her life. The answer is yes, but she's been expecting it for years. She's more worried about what Lucius will do to her children with her scant protection gone.
