Chapter Six - Here Comes the Judge
"What?" asked Harry with tremendous bitterness. His face felt flush with anger and the rage that he had recently been able to control threatened to erupt like a simmering volcano. "I'm sure I misheard you, Professor."
"Unfortunately, Harry, you did not. I do not know what happened, and that certainly wasn't part of our plan. Severus showed up in my office after lunch, explaining his orders. It was a test of his loyalty to Voldemort that he was directed to lead the attack on you. We did not have enough time to tell you about the plans since it was just before Severus left to go to your Aunt's house. This disturbs me greatly." Dumbledore's fury had abated, and he suddenly looked incredibly weary.
Harry felt a momentary pang of sympathy for his headmaster, but his anger at Snape flared back to full force. "He could have trapped me with that portkey. How can we trust him? He's always hated me, he's wanted me 'taken care of' since I arrived at Hogwarts. Snape may have turned, Professor. Snape may have gone back to Voldemort and is now betraying you."
Dumbledore looked sharply up at Harry. "I have my reasons for trusting Professor Snape, Harry. Please let me investigate this before you allow your speculation to run rampant. I know you feel you have no reason to trust Professor Snape, but I do trust him. As I said, I will investigate this and inform you of what I find."
"Alright Professor, but until you have proof that he's innocent, he is not welcome into this house. Not for a meeting of the Order, not for anything. I know he hates me. Maybe Voldemort is twisting his mind over that and he's being controlled. I don't trust him and I never will."
"Never is a long time, Harry. But I understand. Until I get to the bottom of this I will agree to your restrictions." Dumbledore sighed, his resolve again hardening to protect this young wizard.
After Professor Dumbledore quietly left the room, followed by Remus Lupin, Mrs. Weasley promptly returned to Harry's side. Gently brushing his hair away from his forehead she looked deeply into his eyes, and her hand trembled a bit. Offering him a glass of water, she quietly poured a cup full, her hands still trembling.
"Mrs. Weasley, are you okay?" Harry asked gingerly. He had only seen her get this upset when she had tried to tackle a boggart and fell victim to its cruelty. Harry was not entirely surprised by what she said when she started talking, but as she did his anger flared back to life.
"You saved my life Harry. I know it. Those stupid Ministry people, and - and, well they almost killed me. How he could ever have turned on me, I'm his mother for Merlin's sake. But the look on his face, it was like he was dead. He wasn't even thinking, just doing what his orders told him to do. I just, he's my son, my baby, and he tried, he tried to..." She faltered a bit before continuing, shaking her head.
"I can't ever thank you enough for doing such a reckless thing, you could have been killed, do you know that? You deliberately jumped in front of those spells to save me. I can never thank you enough."
"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said in a small, quiet voice. "I didn't have a choice. Not really. I saw what was happening, and, erm, well I couldn't let them do that to you. You're like a mother to me," Harry's eyes watered just a bit and his voice broke.
Clearing his throat, he continued. "You're like a mother to me and I couldn't let that happen. I'd do it again if necessary. For any of you."
Tears were again flowing in the eyes of the entire Weasley family, and Harry found himself swarmed in a mass hug once more. His eyes flashed a bit, however, when he heard Fred and George exchange dark comments about how they were planning on dealing with their 'other' brother.
"No," he said firmly. "I don't want you to do anything." His eyes took in Bill, Charlie, and Ron as well. "I know he's your brother," looking at Mr. Weasley he gulped. "And your son. But this is my battle. Please. Fudge's Ministry has interfered too much, they've gone too far. I think I know how to help save Percy, or at least stop him from doing more harm. I think I can make him realize what he's done. But you have to let me handle it. If my plan doesn't work, you can do something after that, but give me until my trial. If I haven't solved the problem at the conclusion of my trial, then you can do something. Okay?"
Seeing them slowly nod their head in agreement, Harry was satisfied until he looked into Ginny's eyes. She was not convinced, and Harry could tell.
"Please Ginny, trust me. I want to stop this more than you do. And I have to make Percy see what he's done, what he's doing, the path he's headed down if he doesn't turn around."
Under his relentless stare Ginny faltered, her anger dimming. But Harry was again impressed by the willful determination this tiny witch controlled. "Fine Harry. But if you don't fix him, I will."
Each of the Weasley men stepped back a bit at the venom in Ginny's voice. All knew not to cross her when she was this angry. Even Mrs. Weasley seemed slightly taken aback at her daughter's voice, but Harry also saw a flash of immense pride mingled in there as well. He smiled at the slight witch in front of him and nodded his head solemnly.
"Well, if you don't mind then, I'd like to get some more sleep. Tomorrow's a big day, convicting Malfoy and all." Harry yawned, and the Weasley's took his not so subtle hint. As they all wished him a good night, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny quickly kissed him on the cheek, causing his face to turn scarlet. Giggling, they walked out arm in arm and shut the door on Harry and Ron.
***
"Wicked Harry, bloody wicked. What a day! I can't believe everything you went through today, attacked by Deatheaters, then Percy, and now we're here in your house. It's unbelievable. So, tell me about your plan? What are you going to do? How'd you get Dumbledore to agree?"
"Not a chance Weasley," Harry said sternly. "The only thing we're going to talk about tonight before I go to sleep is the young lady, Hermione Granger. You'll find out about my plans eventually, but right now I want to know what's going on between my two best friends. I want to know what your plans are. And I should warn you, I'm feeling slightly protective right now."
Harry was tremendously pleased to see the multiple shades of red that flashed across Ron's face. His ears were one shade of pink, his cheeks a muted red, his neck had four different shades that Harry could see, and he was sure if he had a better light that there would be more shades visible. Snickering Harry watched Ron's mouth open and close again nervously as if he didn't know where to start.
"Tell me when you realized you had feelings for her," Harry offered diplomatically.
"First year, after we saved her from the troll," Ron said automatically, without thinking. "I guess. I just didn't realize it then. It took some time for me to figure it out, you know? I think consciously that I knew after second year, after she'd been petrified. Everything was empty while she was gone. I mean, we had so much to deal with, but still, every day it was empty without her.
"But I was embarrassed and tried to hide it. So I pretended myself I wasn't falling for her. I mean remember third year, how hectic everything was and she was so busy with all those classes, it was easy to ignore it, mostly. And fourth year, well, with the Championship, and that stupid dance and Vicky, well, then I was just mad at her about the whole thing, but still kidding myself that it was something else.
"I don't think that I finally realized it, I mean really KNEW it, until last year. Last summer actually. When we were here and our prefect badges came.
"She immediately assumed that it was yours, as did most everyone, but it HURT when she thought it was yours. I think I realized that I was jealous when she was excited for YOU. I mean, she was so thrilled for you, when she thought it was yours, and I wasn't upset with you, because I thought it would have been yours too, but I was upset that she didn't automatically think it was mine. Like I wasn't good enough for it.
"Then I realized how stupid I was being. And it made me think. Why was I upset? Because she thought that Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, defeated Voldemort, saved the Stone, killed the basilisk, saved Sirius, school champion, and so on, was the prefect? Of course you should have been Prefect. And so I thought to myself 'YOU didn't even think you'd get it, why are you upset with Hermione for agreeing with you?' and it made me realize that I WANTED her to think I deserved it.
"That's where it gets weird Harry. Real weird. So I'm sitting there, thinking to myself 'I want Hermione to be proud of me, like she is of Harry.' And I'm thinking 'what the heck is that all about' and I get very confused.
"But it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Suddenly, I start thinking about everything, my obsession with Krum, our bickering, how much she means to me. How I can't stop looking at her when we're in the room together. How I listen to everything she says, but pretend not to most of the time, mostly so she has to repeat it. How I pick fights with her just to see her react and get flustered." He grinned.
"When did you realize all this Ron?" Harry asked, finding himself strangely pleased with his friend.
"I don't know, over time. I mean, I had the first lightbulb that night, when I got my badge, and then I started thinking about it. I decided I was going to say something to her the first night of school, but then I chickened out when she could only talk about Umbridge.
"And then things just got so tense. Erm, well, you know. Last year wasn't particularly conducive to a romance. Yeah, we had time alone but we spent most of it worrying about you. And then, like I said, I chickened out. What would I do if she said no, or laughed at me? I didn't know what Krum's story was, if they were more serious or whatever. So I kept quiet."
"So what changed?" Harry prodded
"The Ministry. Don't look at me like that, I'm not saying it was a romantic evening, but well, with everything that happened, I started to worry. It hit home how dangerous everything was, how much risk we were at, all the time. When we were in the room with the prophecies, my first instinct was to protect her Harry. I wanted to keep her safe more than anything. As we fought with the Deatheaters, well, I just worried about her so much. What if something happened and she never knew? I had to tell her. I had to.
"When I woke up back at Hogwarts, when we were in the infirmary, at first I was scared. Those brains messed me up pretty good. And that cut on Hermione, it was terrifying. But Madam Pomfrey fixed us up, like she always does. And we were lying there, recovering and we talked. We talked about you, how angry you were, how hurt you were, and how worried we were about you. We talked about Ginny and Neville and Luna. We talked about Sirius, about how much we missed him. And finally I had my chance, I couldn't stop myself, it just came out."
***
Ron's eyes glazed over slightly as he relived that precious memory for Harry. Lying in bed in the hospital wing, their beds next to each other, it was late at night. The lights were dimmed down very low and they were alone. Ginny had been released and Madam Pomfrey was asleep, but they were still talking.
"Hermione, there's something else I'm glad about," Ron said, haltingly.
"What Ron?" Hermione asked softly.
"I'm glad you're okay, now. I mean, I'm glad Madam Pomfrey was able to heal you."
"Me too Ron, I'm glad we're both better."
"No, Herms, it's more than that. I mean, yeah, I'm glad we're okay. But, erm, I mean, well, I'mreallygladyou'rebetterandIwasworriedaboutyou." He finished incredibly quickly.
"What Ron? I didn't catch that." If Ron had been able to look at Hermione's eyes he would have seen them sparkle mischievously, but his own eyes were planted firmly at the sheets wrapped up around his chest. With a pained expression he took a deep breath and looked across at his best friend.
"What I mean," he started slowly. "What I mean is that I'm particularly glad that you are okay. I don't know what I'd do without you Herms, if you got hurt or anything. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you at the Ministry, and I won't ever let you down again. Ever. You mean too much to me, and I can't, I can't, erm, I can't let you get hurt. You're my best friend, you and Harry. But it's more with you, you're, well, you're my everything."
Blushing furiously he dropped his head to his chest, worried that he had ruined his friendship with this lovely, brilliant, amazing witch.
"Ronald Weasley, that takes a lot of nerve," Hermione started. Ron winced and tried to sink lower into his bed.
"You have the audacity to sit there and tell me such things-"
Ron interrupted her before she finished. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."
"I wasn't finished Ronald," Hermione said, eyes flashing dangerously. Ron quailed and stopped talking.
"You have the audacity to sit there and tell me such romantic things." Ron's heart lurched into his throat as she continued. "When I can't do anything about it because I'm stuck here in this dreadful bed with this stupid injury. Of all the inopportune times for you to figure this out, it has to be now."
Ron's face was positively glowing and his smile reached across the room. Trembling slightly he crawled out of his bed and walked over to Hermione's. Bending down over her, he kissed her gently on her forehead. As he made to pull back he was startled when her hands reached out and grabbed the collar of his bed clothes, pulling his face towards hers. She firmly kissed him on the lips and didn't let go for several long moments.
Both of them were blushing furiously when she finally released him. "Much better. That first kiss, honestly, I won't take you seriously if you don't do better next time. Now get back to bed before you get in trouble. You're seriously not strong enough to be out in the first place. We can talk more about this tomorrow." Grinning she shooed him off to his bed and he numbly obeyed.
Climbing back into his bed, his heart pounding in his ears, he looked across to the wonderful witch he had fallen for. "G'night Herms."
"Good night Ron, pleasant dreams," she replied and swished her wand, extinguishing all the lights.
***
Harry was smiling. He was incredibly happy for the two of them and knew that Ron was worried about his reaction.
"That's just brilliant Ron, brilliant. I glad it finally happened for you two. Just do me a favor and don't screw this up. I can't stand the thought of refereeing the two of you in a breakup. We both know Hermione'd win anyway."
"Don't worry, mate. I won't screw this up, it's just absolutely perfect. Not that you have to tell her what I said though, have to leave her guessing a little you know."
Harry didn't, at least not really, but decided not to make an issue of it. He had known for years that Ron and Hermione were destined for each other, but he also knew that he didn't want a relationship like that. Harry knew, somehow, that despite their newfound romance that the bickering between his best friends wasn't going to change at all. In fact, he fretted, it was likely to get worse. 'Well, if I can fight off Deatheaters, I can deal with the romance between my best friends,' he thought to himself.
"Good," he said out loud. "But just do me this favor okay? I love Hermione like a sister and if you ever hurt her, well, just imagine what you'd do to some bloke that tried to hurt Ginny. And then multiply that by ten. That's where I'll start."
Ron could tell that Harry was not kidding, and nodded his head. "No worries mate, this is the real deal."
Exhausted Harry decided that he'd had enough information to tease Ron for a few days and decided to call it a night. Quickly changing and climbing into bed, Harry started grinning again.
"Ron?"
"Yes, Harry."
"Good night Ron. Pleasant dreams."
***
The next morning Harry woke up with the rising sun. Realizing that he was not going to sleep any more he slowly got out of bed and walked over to look out the window. It promised to be a grey day as storm clouds had gathered during the night and soaked the city early in the morning. Harry stretched and quietly walked out of the room, making his way downstairs. As he crept silently past the portrait of Sirius' mother, not wishing to disturb her, he looked into the sitting room and saw movement in one of the portraits.
Crossing the room to inspect, Harry was not surprised when he saw the now familiar face of Phineas Nigellus appear in the frame.
"About time you woke up, young Harry. We have much to discuss this morning."
Sighing, Harry looked at the former headmaster. Harry was surprised by what he saw. Normally portraits always look the same, the original paint job lasting for centuries. But Phineas looked much more worn than Harry remembered. The portrait was obviously upset and seemed weary.
"Okay, Phineas, what do you want."
"Not a very gracious morning person, are you Harry? Well, I can understand that I suppose.
"I've been thinking about our last conversation, about my obligation to you, Harry. And to Dumbledore and Hogwarts. I have also listened to Dumbledore discuss your plans. Very crafty, very convoluted. You would have made a good Slytherin."
"I don't particularly relish the though of being insulted so early in the morning, Phineas, so knock it off." Harry was quickly tiring of this conversation.
"Patience, my dear boy. Patience is an important attribute for you to learn. But let me continue. I am aware of your impending legal battles. Your trial provides you with an opportunity, one you are smart to have taken. But I think I can offer you a suggestion that even Dumbledore may have forgotten exists. He may not realize that there are legal precedents that, while unused for centuries, remain binding."
"Why not inform him? He leads the Wizengamot, he should know enough to make it happen, whatever you are suggesting."
"No, no, my young friend, it can not come from Dumbledore. He will have to play the neutral party. It must come from you. It will be perfect timing and Dumbledore will be able to act upon it very quickly. And my understanding is that he believes the rest of the court will vote with him on all matters, especially with Fudge's behavior of late."
The continued to discuss Harry's strategy, Phineas offering a few more refinements and precise language that Harry would need once his trial started.
As their conversation ended, they were interrupted by a loud yelp of distress that Harry was convinced sounded like Ron. Rushing out to the entry, he saw the twins doubled over in laughter. Ron emerged from the bedroom he shared with Harry, glowing an odd shade of blue. He looked as if he had been dipped in a bucket of blue paint. Shaking his fists at the twins he started chasing after them, causing them to flee down the stairs. Unfortunately Ron forgot that his brothers could conduct magic while he was still at a disadvantage. As they hit the landing they turned and cast two quick spells in his direction. The first silencing him, so he didn't disturb the portrait of Sirius' mother with his yelling, and the second a well placed sticking charm the planted him firmly on the wall. The glow from his skin sheathed the entryway in a bizarrely pleasant blue glow.
Seemingly by accident the twins bumped in to Harry, who was having a very difficult time hiding his amusement. They tried to look as innocent as possible and pointedly refused to look back at their younger brother who was waving wildly in distress.
"Morning, Mr. Potter. What brings you down here so early?" asked George.
"We just happened to bump into your roommate and he seems a bit distressed," said Fred.
Grinning broadly, the twins looked politely at Harry. He smiled back at them.
"Erm, yes, he seems a little down, a little blue you might say," he replied as casually as he could muster. "It seems that he has found himself with some time on his hands though, maybe that will cheer him up?"
"Quite right. Let's leave him in peace and maybe that will clear things up." George tried to contain the burst of laughter that was welling and dashed into the kitchen. Harry and Fred followed suit and the three of them were doubled over laughing for several minutes. When their laughter finally subsided, Harry collapsed into a chair and propped his head in his hands, arms resting on the table.
"So, what was that?" Harry asked.
"Another of our inventions," replied George. "We call it the Chromatic Ink Bomb. You put a few drops in anything the person drinks and a few minutes later they turn a bright glowing color. It varies from person to person, and you never get the same exact color. For ickle Ronniekins we just dropped a few drops in his mouth while he was snoring. It has the same effect."
"It was a blast to research Harry," said Fred. "We each tried it three times. I was red, green, and a weird tannish color. George got puce, orange, and a fluorescent black. It's terribly wicked. We figure folks will have a lot of fun with them, turning each other different colors."
"How long does it last?" Harry asked, a little worried for his friend.
"That's the beauty of it, Harry," Fred said. "It only lasts until the person goes to the bathroom. We're trying to make it last a little longer for the older crowd, you know, for bars and parties and stuff. But this version is marketable now."
Laughing, Harry agreed that it would be a hit. He then reminded the twins that their mother might not approve of Ron's condition since they needed to leave soon for the Malfoy trial. They grudgingly agreed and went out to let Ron down. As they walked out of the kitchen, Remus walked in.
"Morning Harry," he said, grabbing Harry's shoulders with a quick squeeze. "Want some coffee?" As he said this, Remus shot a few spells at the stove and the coffeepot suddenly gurgled into action. With the aroma of coffee filling the room, Harry suddenly realized that he was famished. He hadn't eaten since lunch the day before with Mr. Smith and he was starving.
"No thanks, Remus, I actually just need something to eat. I haven't had a bite in a long time and I'm dying of hunger."
Remus gave him a rueful grin. "We should wait for Molly then, my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired. I remember one time I made breakfast for Sirius and your father, just after we graduated. Sirius was fine, but James was sick for a week. Sensitive stomach I guess. They didn't let me forget that for months, it was terrible. But your Dad got even, he always did. He slipped a potion into my butterbeer and it made going to the bathroom very uncomfortable for the next three days, until Lily took pity on me and made the remedy."
Harry grinned at his favorite former professor and laughed at the thought of his dad engaged in a prank war with his friends. Fortunately Mrs. Weasley was finally up as well and she walked into the kitchen. Looking over at her, Harry saw that her eyes were dancing and she was trying, with great difficulty, not to laugh.
"Morning Mrs. Weasley," he called. "How are you feeling today?"
Mrs. Weasley giggled a little before settling down and looked over at Harry and Remus.
"Good morning Harry, Remus. I'm feeling much better. And you? Slept well, I hope? You have a long day ahead of you, several actually. And we need to feed you! That Aunt of yours must have been starving you. Well, give me a few minutes and we'll get you fed."
Mrs. Weasley waved her wand around the kitchen and pans started flying and eggs and bacon soon found themselves sizzling on the stove. Humming happily she flicked her wand at a loaf of bread that soon found itself being sliced, toasted, and buttered. As the smells of a hearty breakfast wafted out the doors, Harry heard a small commotion as Ron and his brothers raced down the stairs and burst into the kitchen. Moments later Ginny followed in a much more dignified manner, though she was smiling joyfully at Ron who had been returned to his normal color without a trace of blue remaining on his skin or hair.
As Mrs. Weasley served everyone up a mountain of eggs and bacon, Harry noticed that she couldn't quite bring herself to look at Ron. Harry glanced around and saw that Remus was also smiling, which was unusual since he wasn't really a morning person, and was also avoiding looking at Ron.
Chuckling to himself he turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Weasley, it's delicious. But how did you know that I wanted eggs? It's like you came up with that out of the blue."
The kitchen exploded with laughter as Ron's face turned several shades of red. He looked over at Harry with rueful anger on his face.
"Very funny, mate," he said. "They'll get theirs. I'm not sure, but somehow I'll manage to get them back."
He then made a great show of turning his back on everyone at the table, which was quite difficult because he was also intent on shoveling as much food in his mouth as possible at the same time. Eventually the laughter died down and Harry calmly resumed eating.
As they finished their meals, Harry asked where Mr. Weasley was.
"He had to go to Azkaban after he was sure you were okay, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said.
"After the battle there several Aurors and guards needed medical treatment and Arthur volunteered to help out by relieving them. Plus Dumbledore wanted as many Order members there as well to make sure nothing happened. He'll meet us at the trial this morning, and it looks like we need to get moving if we want to be there on time. We have to take the muggle Underground you know. Everybody report back down here in ten minutes."
"Mum, we can drive you and we don't need to leave for another twenty minutes then," volunteered George.
Simultaneously Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley said "We'll take the Underground."
Fred and George smirked.
"Wimps. Be that way."
Grateful for his escape of their car, Harry rushed upstairs to change. He pulled on some of his new clothing and over that put on his formal school robes. Deciding that he looked presentable enough, he forced Ron to stop looking in the mirror and walked down stairs.
"I know Hermione will be there, Ron," he teased. "But she'll be fine with your hair the way it is. Honestly."
As Ron blushed, Harry snorted with laughter. "You're making this too easy mate. Hopefully Hermione will be more of a challenge."
Ron's blush deepened.
As ten minutes had almost passed, Mrs. Weasley came marching down the stairs with Ginny and the twins in tow. As a group they marched out to the streets, with Remus following them from a discreet distance.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Ministry and made their way down to the same courtroom that Harry had been in just under a year ago for his first trial. Hermione was waiting outside the entrance with Tonks, and Ron rushed up to give her a quick hug. Grabbing her hand, Ron's ears turned bright pink but his eyes never left Hermione's face.
Harry's stomach clenched as they made their way through the crowd and pushed his way to the door. As they entered the massive courtroom and found seats Harry whirled around as a familiar voice spoke with the deepest loathing.
"Potter. Figures you are here with the Mudblood and the charity case. Gloating are you? Well, don't be too sure, my Father will get off, you watch." Draco Malfoy looked at the trio with utter contempt.
"Careful Malfoy or you'll get tossed in Azkaban as well. I know it's just a matter of time before you become a Deatheater and I'll send you to rot there with your father as well. Unless I kill you first." Harry spoke with a calmness that even he didn't know where it came from. Malfoy's eyes tightened in anger as he reached for his wand.
"Careful, Malfoy, when some of your ilk crossed me yesterday I broke one man's spine, impaled another in the arse, destroyed another's mind with the Cruciatus, stunned a final one for hours, and made two run away in fear. You think I'm worried about pathetic you?
"And it's also not a good idea to perform underage magic right in front of the Ministry. Even Fudge would have to punish you this time. Not that it matters, though. Because if you so much as think of casting a spell in my direction, or theirs," Harry said indicating Hermione and the Weasley family, "I'll kill you where you stand.
"Now go back to your miserable mother and leave us the hell alone."
Harry reached out and forcefully pushed Malfoy away from them. Stunned, Malfoy fumed at him. "You'll pay, Potter. Just like your godfather, you'll pay." Draco stormed away and walked to the opposite side of the circular room and rejoined his mother.
Harry moved to sit back down, but noticed the stunned silence from the Weasley's. Hermione, though, was glaring dangerously at him.
"What did you mean by that? What happened yesterday Harry? I only saw you two days ago at your birthday and now you've gone on some rampage?" Harry could tell she wasn't angry with him, just concerned about the impact of his actions. He looked calmly at her and paused before figuring out how to tell her what had happened in a short amount of time. Ron beat him to it.
"We don't have time, Herms, to tell you the whole story, so sit back down" he said calmly and directly. Harry was stunned when Hermione simply sat down to listen to Ron. Maybe there were some definite benefits to their new relationship for Harry.
"Here's the short version. Harry was attacked by six Deatheaters at his Aunt's house. As he said, two fled, he broke one guy's spine, impaled another in the arse, one tried to curse him, but it rebounded and melted his brain, and the last one he stunned before doing more damage to him. So two fled, four were caught by Harry. He's got a trial at the end of the week, but he and Dumbledore think it's a good thing. Now shush, here comes Dumbledore."
Harry was positive this relationship was going to be beneficial to him when Hermione did exactly as ordered. She didn't pepper him with questions, merely sat back in her chair and watched as Dumbledore entered the chamber. She did however, cast a few fleeting glances in Harry's direction.
"Wizards and Witches. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I call this session to order. Bring forth the accused, Lucius Malfoy."
With a slight gesture, the lights around the room where the public was sitting dimmed and the lights at the center glowed brighter. A solitary chair sat in the center, and as Dumbledore made another gesture, two doors opened and Lucius Malfoy walked proudly in followed by two hulking Aurors, his head held high, an arrogant smile on his face.
Contemptuously Malfoy sat down and glared up at Dumbledore.
"Lucius Malfoy, you stand accused using the Unforgivable Curses, the attempted murder of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Virginia Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, and trespass at the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Mysteries." Dumbledore looked down at Malfoy and continued. "How do you plead?"
"Not Guilty."
***
Author's notes:
Thanks for the reviews! Love to hear you are enjoying the story. Keep 'em coming.
Shadowbandit: I tried to make it clear, but maybe didn't do as well as I thought. Figg was being held by the burly wizard. Harry stunned him. The leader (who we find out later is Snape) is the taller wizard. If I get around to revising this, I'll try to make it clearer.
As for my concept of the protection spell, I believe it works against all offensive magic, but only while Harry is staying with his Aunt over the summer. Once he crosses through the barrier at Platform 9 and 3/4, well, just wait and see. I think that stays within with canon since I don't recall any offensive spells cast at him in the summer, but please let me know the error of my ways. I only recall the Dementors, and their aura and Kiss aren't spells per se, but part of their nature. Plus, I just really wanted to hit Percy with something, he's a smelly git.
"What?" asked Harry with tremendous bitterness. His face felt flush with anger and the rage that he had recently been able to control threatened to erupt like a simmering volcano. "I'm sure I misheard you, Professor."
"Unfortunately, Harry, you did not. I do not know what happened, and that certainly wasn't part of our plan. Severus showed up in my office after lunch, explaining his orders. It was a test of his loyalty to Voldemort that he was directed to lead the attack on you. We did not have enough time to tell you about the plans since it was just before Severus left to go to your Aunt's house. This disturbs me greatly." Dumbledore's fury had abated, and he suddenly looked incredibly weary.
Harry felt a momentary pang of sympathy for his headmaster, but his anger at Snape flared back to full force. "He could have trapped me with that portkey. How can we trust him? He's always hated me, he's wanted me 'taken care of' since I arrived at Hogwarts. Snape may have turned, Professor. Snape may have gone back to Voldemort and is now betraying you."
Dumbledore looked sharply up at Harry. "I have my reasons for trusting Professor Snape, Harry. Please let me investigate this before you allow your speculation to run rampant. I know you feel you have no reason to trust Professor Snape, but I do trust him. As I said, I will investigate this and inform you of what I find."
"Alright Professor, but until you have proof that he's innocent, he is not welcome into this house. Not for a meeting of the Order, not for anything. I know he hates me. Maybe Voldemort is twisting his mind over that and he's being controlled. I don't trust him and I never will."
"Never is a long time, Harry. But I understand. Until I get to the bottom of this I will agree to your restrictions." Dumbledore sighed, his resolve again hardening to protect this young wizard.
After Professor Dumbledore quietly left the room, followed by Remus Lupin, Mrs. Weasley promptly returned to Harry's side. Gently brushing his hair away from his forehead she looked deeply into his eyes, and her hand trembled a bit. Offering him a glass of water, she quietly poured a cup full, her hands still trembling.
"Mrs. Weasley, are you okay?" Harry asked gingerly. He had only seen her get this upset when she had tried to tackle a boggart and fell victim to its cruelty. Harry was not entirely surprised by what she said when she started talking, but as she did his anger flared back to life.
"You saved my life Harry. I know it. Those stupid Ministry people, and - and, well they almost killed me. How he could ever have turned on me, I'm his mother for Merlin's sake. But the look on his face, it was like he was dead. He wasn't even thinking, just doing what his orders told him to do. I just, he's my son, my baby, and he tried, he tried to..." She faltered a bit before continuing, shaking her head.
"I can't ever thank you enough for doing such a reckless thing, you could have been killed, do you know that? You deliberately jumped in front of those spells to save me. I can never thank you enough."
"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said in a small, quiet voice. "I didn't have a choice. Not really. I saw what was happening, and, erm, well I couldn't let them do that to you. You're like a mother to me," Harry's eyes watered just a bit and his voice broke.
Clearing his throat, he continued. "You're like a mother to me and I couldn't let that happen. I'd do it again if necessary. For any of you."
Tears were again flowing in the eyes of the entire Weasley family, and Harry found himself swarmed in a mass hug once more. His eyes flashed a bit, however, when he heard Fred and George exchange dark comments about how they were planning on dealing with their 'other' brother.
"No," he said firmly. "I don't want you to do anything." His eyes took in Bill, Charlie, and Ron as well. "I know he's your brother," looking at Mr. Weasley he gulped. "And your son. But this is my battle. Please. Fudge's Ministry has interfered too much, they've gone too far. I think I know how to help save Percy, or at least stop him from doing more harm. I think I can make him realize what he's done. But you have to let me handle it. If my plan doesn't work, you can do something after that, but give me until my trial. If I haven't solved the problem at the conclusion of my trial, then you can do something. Okay?"
Seeing them slowly nod their head in agreement, Harry was satisfied until he looked into Ginny's eyes. She was not convinced, and Harry could tell.
"Please Ginny, trust me. I want to stop this more than you do. And I have to make Percy see what he's done, what he's doing, the path he's headed down if he doesn't turn around."
Under his relentless stare Ginny faltered, her anger dimming. But Harry was again impressed by the willful determination this tiny witch controlled. "Fine Harry. But if you don't fix him, I will."
Each of the Weasley men stepped back a bit at the venom in Ginny's voice. All knew not to cross her when she was this angry. Even Mrs. Weasley seemed slightly taken aback at her daughter's voice, but Harry also saw a flash of immense pride mingled in there as well. He smiled at the slight witch in front of him and nodded his head solemnly.
"Well, if you don't mind then, I'd like to get some more sleep. Tomorrow's a big day, convicting Malfoy and all." Harry yawned, and the Weasley's took his not so subtle hint. As they all wished him a good night, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny quickly kissed him on the cheek, causing his face to turn scarlet. Giggling, they walked out arm in arm and shut the door on Harry and Ron.
***
"Wicked Harry, bloody wicked. What a day! I can't believe everything you went through today, attacked by Deatheaters, then Percy, and now we're here in your house. It's unbelievable. So, tell me about your plan? What are you going to do? How'd you get Dumbledore to agree?"
"Not a chance Weasley," Harry said sternly. "The only thing we're going to talk about tonight before I go to sleep is the young lady, Hermione Granger. You'll find out about my plans eventually, but right now I want to know what's going on between my two best friends. I want to know what your plans are. And I should warn you, I'm feeling slightly protective right now."
Harry was tremendously pleased to see the multiple shades of red that flashed across Ron's face. His ears were one shade of pink, his cheeks a muted red, his neck had four different shades that Harry could see, and he was sure if he had a better light that there would be more shades visible. Snickering Harry watched Ron's mouth open and close again nervously as if he didn't know where to start.
"Tell me when you realized you had feelings for her," Harry offered diplomatically.
"First year, after we saved her from the troll," Ron said automatically, without thinking. "I guess. I just didn't realize it then. It took some time for me to figure it out, you know? I think consciously that I knew after second year, after she'd been petrified. Everything was empty while she was gone. I mean, we had so much to deal with, but still, every day it was empty without her.
"But I was embarrassed and tried to hide it. So I pretended myself I wasn't falling for her. I mean remember third year, how hectic everything was and she was so busy with all those classes, it was easy to ignore it, mostly. And fourth year, well, with the Championship, and that stupid dance and Vicky, well, then I was just mad at her about the whole thing, but still kidding myself that it was something else.
"I don't think that I finally realized it, I mean really KNEW it, until last year. Last summer actually. When we were here and our prefect badges came.
"She immediately assumed that it was yours, as did most everyone, but it HURT when she thought it was yours. I think I realized that I was jealous when she was excited for YOU. I mean, she was so thrilled for you, when she thought it was yours, and I wasn't upset with you, because I thought it would have been yours too, but I was upset that she didn't automatically think it was mine. Like I wasn't good enough for it.
"Then I realized how stupid I was being. And it made me think. Why was I upset? Because she thought that Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, defeated Voldemort, saved the Stone, killed the basilisk, saved Sirius, school champion, and so on, was the prefect? Of course you should have been Prefect. And so I thought to myself 'YOU didn't even think you'd get it, why are you upset with Hermione for agreeing with you?' and it made me realize that I WANTED her to think I deserved it.
"That's where it gets weird Harry. Real weird. So I'm sitting there, thinking to myself 'I want Hermione to be proud of me, like she is of Harry.' And I'm thinking 'what the heck is that all about' and I get very confused.
"But it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Suddenly, I start thinking about everything, my obsession with Krum, our bickering, how much she means to me. How I can't stop looking at her when we're in the room together. How I listen to everything she says, but pretend not to most of the time, mostly so she has to repeat it. How I pick fights with her just to see her react and get flustered." He grinned.
"When did you realize all this Ron?" Harry asked, finding himself strangely pleased with his friend.
"I don't know, over time. I mean, I had the first lightbulb that night, when I got my badge, and then I started thinking about it. I decided I was going to say something to her the first night of school, but then I chickened out when she could only talk about Umbridge.
"And then things just got so tense. Erm, well, you know. Last year wasn't particularly conducive to a romance. Yeah, we had time alone but we spent most of it worrying about you. And then, like I said, I chickened out. What would I do if she said no, or laughed at me? I didn't know what Krum's story was, if they were more serious or whatever. So I kept quiet."
"So what changed?" Harry prodded
"The Ministry. Don't look at me like that, I'm not saying it was a romantic evening, but well, with everything that happened, I started to worry. It hit home how dangerous everything was, how much risk we were at, all the time. When we were in the room with the prophecies, my first instinct was to protect her Harry. I wanted to keep her safe more than anything. As we fought with the Deatheaters, well, I just worried about her so much. What if something happened and she never knew? I had to tell her. I had to.
"When I woke up back at Hogwarts, when we were in the infirmary, at first I was scared. Those brains messed me up pretty good. And that cut on Hermione, it was terrifying. But Madam Pomfrey fixed us up, like she always does. And we were lying there, recovering and we talked. We talked about you, how angry you were, how hurt you were, and how worried we were about you. We talked about Ginny and Neville and Luna. We talked about Sirius, about how much we missed him. And finally I had my chance, I couldn't stop myself, it just came out."
***
Ron's eyes glazed over slightly as he relived that precious memory for Harry. Lying in bed in the hospital wing, their beds next to each other, it was late at night. The lights were dimmed down very low and they were alone. Ginny had been released and Madam Pomfrey was asleep, but they were still talking.
"Hermione, there's something else I'm glad about," Ron said, haltingly.
"What Ron?" Hermione asked softly.
"I'm glad you're okay, now. I mean, I'm glad Madam Pomfrey was able to heal you."
"Me too Ron, I'm glad we're both better."
"No, Herms, it's more than that. I mean, yeah, I'm glad we're okay. But, erm, I mean, well, I'mreallygladyou'rebetterandIwasworriedaboutyou." He finished incredibly quickly.
"What Ron? I didn't catch that." If Ron had been able to look at Hermione's eyes he would have seen them sparkle mischievously, but his own eyes were planted firmly at the sheets wrapped up around his chest. With a pained expression he took a deep breath and looked across at his best friend.
"What I mean," he started slowly. "What I mean is that I'm particularly glad that you are okay. I don't know what I'd do without you Herms, if you got hurt or anything. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you at the Ministry, and I won't ever let you down again. Ever. You mean too much to me, and I can't, I can't, erm, I can't let you get hurt. You're my best friend, you and Harry. But it's more with you, you're, well, you're my everything."
Blushing furiously he dropped his head to his chest, worried that he had ruined his friendship with this lovely, brilliant, amazing witch.
"Ronald Weasley, that takes a lot of nerve," Hermione started. Ron winced and tried to sink lower into his bed.
"You have the audacity to sit there and tell me such things-"
Ron interrupted her before she finished. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."
"I wasn't finished Ronald," Hermione said, eyes flashing dangerously. Ron quailed and stopped talking.
"You have the audacity to sit there and tell me such romantic things." Ron's heart lurched into his throat as she continued. "When I can't do anything about it because I'm stuck here in this dreadful bed with this stupid injury. Of all the inopportune times for you to figure this out, it has to be now."
Ron's face was positively glowing and his smile reached across the room. Trembling slightly he crawled out of his bed and walked over to Hermione's. Bending down over her, he kissed her gently on her forehead. As he made to pull back he was startled when her hands reached out and grabbed the collar of his bed clothes, pulling his face towards hers. She firmly kissed him on the lips and didn't let go for several long moments.
Both of them were blushing furiously when she finally released him. "Much better. That first kiss, honestly, I won't take you seriously if you don't do better next time. Now get back to bed before you get in trouble. You're seriously not strong enough to be out in the first place. We can talk more about this tomorrow." Grinning she shooed him off to his bed and he numbly obeyed.
Climbing back into his bed, his heart pounding in his ears, he looked across to the wonderful witch he had fallen for. "G'night Herms."
"Good night Ron, pleasant dreams," she replied and swished her wand, extinguishing all the lights.
***
Harry was smiling. He was incredibly happy for the two of them and knew that Ron was worried about his reaction.
"That's just brilliant Ron, brilliant. I glad it finally happened for you two. Just do me a favor and don't screw this up. I can't stand the thought of refereeing the two of you in a breakup. We both know Hermione'd win anyway."
"Don't worry, mate. I won't screw this up, it's just absolutely perfect. Not that you have to tell her what I said though, have to leave her guessing a little you know."
Harry didn't, at least not really, but decided not to make an issue of it. He had known for years that Ron and Hermione were destined for each other, but he also knew that he didn't want a relationship like that. Harry knew, somehow, that despite their newfound romance that the bickering between his best friends wasn't going to change at all. In fact, he fretted, it was likely to get worse. 'Well, if I can fight off Deatheaters, I can deal with the romance between my best friends,' he thought to himself.
"Good," he said out loud. "But just do me this favor okay? I love Hermione like a sister and if you ever hurt her, well, just imagine what you'd do to some bloke that tried to hurt Ginny. And then multiply that by ten. That's where I'll start."
Ron could tell that Harry was not kidding, and nodded his head. "No worries mate, this is the real deal."
Exhausted Harry decided that he'd had enough information to tease Ron for a few days and decided to call it a night. Quickly changing and climbing into bed, Harry started grinning again.
"Ron?"
"Yes, Harry."
"Good night Ron. Pleasant dreams."
***
The next morning Harry woke up with the rising sun. Realizing that he was not going to sleep any more he slowly got out of bed and walked over to look out the window. It promised to be a grey day as storm clouds had gathered during the night and soaked the city early in the morning. Harry stretched and quietly walked out of the room, making his way downstairs. As he crept silently past the portrait of Sirius' mother, not wishing to disturb her, he looked into the sitting room and saw movement in one of the portraits.
Crossing the room to inspect, Harry was not surprised when he saw the now familiar face of Phineas Nigellus appear in the frame.
"About time you woke up, young Harry. We have much to discuss this morning."
Sighing, Harry looked at the former headmaster. Harry was surprised by what he saw. Normally portraits always look the same, the original paint job lasting for centuries. But Phineas looked much more worn than Harry remembered. The portrait was obviously upset and seemed weary.
"Okay, Phineas, what do you want."
"Not a very gracious morning person, are you Harry? Well, I can understand that I suppose.
"I've been thinking about our last conversation, about my obligation to you, Harry. And to Dumbledore and Hogwarts. I have also listened to Dumbledore discuss your plans. Very crafty, very convoluted. You would have made a good Slytherin."
"I don't particularly relish the though of being insulted so early in the morning, Phineas, so knock it off." Harry was quickly tiring of this conversation.
"Patience, my dear boy. Patience is an important attribute for you to learn. But let me continue. I am aware of your impending legal battles. Your trial provides you with an opportunity, one you are smart to have taken. But I think I can offer you a suggestion that even Dumbledore may have forgotten exists. He may not realize that there are legal precedents that, while unused for centuries, remain binding."
"Why not inform him? He leads the Wizengamot, he should know enough to make it happen, whatever you are suggesting."
"No, no, my young friend, it can not come from Dumbledore. He will have to play the neutral party. It must come from you. It will be perfect timing and Dumbledore will be able to act upon it very quickly. And my understanding is that he believes the rest of the court will vote with him on all matters, especially with Fudge's behavior of late."
The continued to discuss Harry's strategy, Phineas offering a few more refinements and precise language that Harry would need once his trial started.
As their conversation ended, they were interrupted by a loud yelp of distress that Harry was convinced sounded like Ron. Rushing out to the entry, he saw the twins doubled over in laughter. Ron emerged from the bedroom he shared with Harry, glowing an odd shade of blue. He looked as if he had been dipped in a bucket of blue paint. Shaking his fists at the twins he started chasing after them, causing them to flee down the stairs. Unfortunately Ron forgot that his brothers could conduct magic while he was still at a disadvantage. As they hit the landing they turned and cast two quick spells in his direction. The first silencing him, so he didn't disturb the portrait of Sirius' mother with his yelling, and the second a well placed sticking charm the planted him firmly on the wall. The glow from his skin sheathed the entryway in a bizarrely pleasant blue glow.
Seemingly by accident the twins bumped in to Harry, who was having a very difficult time hiding his amusement. They tried to look as innocent as possible and pointedly refused to look back at their younger brother who was waving wildly in distress.
"Morning, Mr. Potter. What brings you down here so early?" asked George.
"We just happened to bump into your roommate and he seems a bit distressed," said Fred.
Grinning broadly, the twins looked politely at Harry. He smiled back at them.
"Erm, yes, he seems a little down, a little blue you might say," he replied as casually as he could muster. "It seems that he has found himself with some time on his hands though, maybe that will cheer him up?"
"Quite right. Let's leave him in peace and maybe that will clear things up." George tried to contain the burst of laughter that was welling and dashed into the kitchen. Harry and Fred followed suit and the three of them were doubled over laughing for several minutes. When their laughter finally subsided, Harry collapsed into a chair and propped his head in his hands, arms resting on the table.
"So, what was that?" Harry asked.
"Another of our inventions," replied George. "We call it the Chromatic Ink Bomb. You put a few drops in anything the person drinks and a few minutes later they turn a bright glowing color. It varies from person to person, and you never get the same exact color. For ickle Ronniekins we just dropped a few drops in his mouth while he was snoring. It has the same effect."
"It was a blast to research Harry," said Fred. "We each tried it three times. I was red, green, and a weird tannish color. George got puce, orange, and a fluorescent black. It's terribly wicked. We figure folks will have a lot of fun with them, turning each other different colors."
"How long does it last?" Harry asked, a little worried for his friend.
"That's the beauty of it, Harry," Fred said. "It only lasts until the person goes to the bathroom. We're trying to make it last a little longer for the older crowd, you know, for bars and parties and stuff. But this version is marketable now."
Laughing, Harry agreed that it would be a hit. He then reminded the twins that their mother might not approve of Ron's condition since they needed to leave soon for the Malfoy trial. They grudgingly agreed and went out to let Ron down. As they walked out of the kitchen, Remus walked in.
"Morning Harry," he said, grabbing Harry's shoulders with a quick squeeze. "Want some coffee?" As he said this, Remus shot a few spells at the stove and the coffeepot suddenly gurgled into action. With the aroma of coffee filling the room, Harry suddenly realized that he was famished. He hadn't eaten since lunch the day before with Mr. Smith and he was starving.
"No thanks, Remus, I actually just need something to eat. I haven't had a bite in a long time and I'm dying of hunger."
Remus gave him a rueful grin. "We should wait for Molly then, my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired. I remember one time I made breakfast for Sirius and your father, just after we graduated. Sirius was fine, but James was sick for a week. Sensitive stomach I guess. They didn't let me forget that for months, it was terrible. But your Dad got even, he always did. He slipped a potion into my butterbeer and it made going to the bathroom very uncomfortable for the next three days, until Lily took pity on me and made the remedy."
Harry grinned at his favorite former professor and laughed at the thought of his dad engaged in a prank war with his friends. Fortunately Mrs. Weasley was finally up as well and she walked into the kitchen. Looking over at her, Harry saw that her eyes were dancing and she was trying, with great difficulty, not to laugh.
"Morning Mrs. Weasley," he called. "How are you feeling today?"
Mrs. Weasley giggled a little before settling down and looked over at Harry and Remus.
"Good morning Harry, Remus. I'm feeling much better. And you? Slept well, I hope? You have a long day ahead of you, several actually. And we need to feed you! That Aunt of yours must have been starving you. Well, give me a few minutes and we'll get you fed."
Mrs. Weasley waved her wand around the kitchen and pans started flying and eggs and bacon soon found themselves sizzling on the stove. Humming happily she flicked her wand at a loaf of bread that soon found itself being sliced, toasted, and buttered. As the smells of a hearty breakfast wafted out the doors, Harry heard a small commotion as Ron and his brothers raced down the stairs and burst into the kitchen. Moments later Ginny followed in a much more dignified manner, though she was smiling joyfully at Ron who had been returned to his normal color without a trace of blue remaining on his skin or hair.
As Mrs. Weasley served everyone up a mountain of eggs and bacon, Harry noticed that she couldn't quite bring herself to look at Ron. Harry glanced around and saw that Remus was also smiling, which was unusual since he wasn't really a morning person, and was also avoiding looking at Ron.
Chuckling to himself he turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Weasley, it's delicious. But how did you know that I wanted eggs? It's like you came up with that out of the blue."
The kitchen exploded with laughter as Ron's face turned several shades of red. He looked over at Harry with rueful anger on his face.
"Very funny, mate," he said. "They'll get theirs. I'm not sure, but somehow I'll manage to get them back."
He then made a great show of turning his back on everyone at the table, which was quite difficult because he was also intent on shoveling as much food in his mouth as possible at the same time. Eventually the laughter died down and Harry calmly resumed eating.
As they finished their meals, Harry asked where Mr. Weasley was.
"He had to go to Azkaban after he was sure you were okay, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said.
"After the battle there several Aurors and guards needed medical treatment and Arthur volunteered to help out by relieving them. Plus Dumbledore wanted as many Order members there as well to make sure nothing happened. He'll meet us at the trial this morning, and it looks like we need to get moving if we want to be there on time. We have to take the muggle Underground you know. Everybody report back down here in ten minutes."
"Mum, we can drive you and we don't need to leave for another twenty minutes then," volunteered George.
Simultaneously Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley said "We'll take the Underground."
Fred and George smirked.
"Wimps. Be that way."
Grateful for his escape of their car, Harry rushed upstairs to change. He pulled on some of his new clothing and over that put on his formal school robes. Deciding that he looked presentable enough, he forced Ron to stop looking in the mirror and walked down stairs.
"I know Hermione will be there, Ron," he teased. "But she'll be fine with your hair the way it is. Honestly."
As Ron blushed, Harry snorted with laughter. "You're making this too easy mate. Hopefully Hermione will be more of a challenge."
Ron's blush deepened.
As ten minutes had almost passed, Mrs. Weasley came marching down the stairs with Ginny and the twins in tow. As a group they marched out to the streets, with Remus following them from a discreet distance.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Ministry and made their way down to the same courtroom that Harry had been in just under a year ago for his first trial. Hermione was waiting outside the entrance with Tonks, and Ron rushed up to give her a quick hug. Grabbing her hand, Ron's ears turned bright pink but his eyes never left Hermione's face.
Harry's stomach clenched as they made their way through the crowd and pushed his way to the door. As they entered the massive courtroom and found seats Harry whirled around as a familiar voice spoke with the deepest loathing.
"Potter. Figures you are here with the Mudblood and the charity case. Gloating are you? Well, don't be too sure, my Father will get off, you watch." Draco Malfoy looked at the trio with utter contempt.
"Careful Malfoy or you'll get tossed in Azkaban as well. I know it's just a matter of time before you become a Deatheater and I'll send you to rot there with your father as well. Unless I kill you first." Harry spoke with a calmness that even he didn't know where it came from. Malfoy's eyes tightened in anger as he reached for his wand.
"Careful, Malfoy, when some of your ilk crossed me yesterday I broke one man's spine, impaled another in the arse, destroyed another's mind with the Cruciatus, stunned a final one for hours, and made two run away in fear. You think I'm worried about pathetic you?
"And it's also not a good idea to perform underage magic right in front of the Ministry. Even Fudge would have to punish you this time. Not that it matters, though. Because if you so much as think of casting a spell in my direction, or theirs," Harry said indicating Hermione and the Weasley family, "I'll kill you where you stand.
"Now go back to your miserable mother and leave us the hell alone."
Harry reached out and forcefully pushed Malfoy away from them. Stunned, Malfoy fumed at him. "You'll pay, Potter. Just like your godfather, you'll pay." Draco stormed away and walked to the opposite side of the circular room and rejoined his mother.
Harry moved to sit back down, but noticed the stunned silence from the Weasley's. Hermione, though, was glaring dangerously at him.
"What did you mean by that? What happened yesterday Harry? I only saw you two days ago at your birthday and now you've gone on some rampage?" Harry could tell she wasn't angry with him, just concerned about the impact of his actions. He looked calmly at her and paused before figuring out how to tell her what had happened in a short amount of time. Ron beat him to it.
"We don't have time, Herms, to tell you the whole story, so sit back down" he said calmly and directly. Harry was stunned when Hermione simply sat down to listen to Ron. Maybe there were some definite benefits to their new relationship for Harry.
"Here's the short version. Harry was attacked by six Deatheaters at his Aunt's house. As he said, two fled, he broke one guy's spine, impaled another in the arse, one tried to curse him, but it rebounded and melted his brain, and the last one he stunned before doing more damage to him. So two fled, four were caught by Harry. He's got a trial at the end of the week, but he and Dumbledore think it's a good thing. Now shush, here comes Dumbledore."
Harry was positive this relationship was going to be beneficial to him when Hermione did exactly as ordered. She didn't pepper him with questions, merely sat back in her chair and watched as Dumbledore entered the chamber. She did however, cast a few fleeting glances in Harry's direction.
"Wizards and Witches. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I call this session to order. Bring forth the accused, Lucius Malfoy."
With a slight gesture, the lights around the room where the public was sitting dimmed and the lights at the center glowed brighter. A solitary chair sat in the center, and as Dumbledore made another gesture, two doors opened and Lucius Malfoy walked proudly in followed by two hulking Aurors, his head held high, an arrogant smile on his face.
Contemptuously Malfoy sat down and glared up at Dumbledore.
"Lucius Malfoy, you stand accused using the Unforgivable Curses, the attempted murder of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Virginia Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, and trespass at the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Mysteries." Dumbledore looked down at Malfoy and continued. "How do you plead?"
"Not Guilty."
***
Author's notes:
Thanks for the reviews! Love to hear you are enjoying the story. Keep 'em coming.
Shadowbandit: I tried to make it clear, but maybe didn't do as well as I thought. Figg was being held by the burly wizard. Harry stunned him. The leader (who we find out later is Snape) is the taller wizard. If I get around to revising this, I'll try to make it clearer.
As for my concept of the protection spell, I believe it works against all offensive magic, but only while Harry is staying with his Aunt over the summer. Once he crosses through the barrier at Platform 9 and 3/4, well, just wait and see. I think that stays within with canon since I don't recall any offensive spells cast at him in the summer, but please let me know the error of my ways. I only recall the Dementors, and their aura and Kiss aren't spells per se, but part of their nature. Plus, I just really wanted to hit Percy with something, he's a smelly git.