A/N: I know, you all thought that I had died. I didn't. It was just hard to get back in the groove after camp. I still speak in camp lingo. Luckily, I found a ffn author at camp. Go over to Sheilalein's site and check her out. Cool stories there! Hope you all enjoy! Sylvia
Fear. Terror. Screaming. Spells. Pain. Intense pain. Satisfaction. Even more pain. Where was it coming from? Where? More pain, even more intense than the last time. Cruciatus. Worse Pain. Pain that was slowly prying his skull apart. Where? Where? There!
"HARRY!" Harry's eyes opened. Everything was blurry. Someone slipped his glasses on his face. Still blurry. Oh, he was crying. And shaking. Stupid Unforgivable spell. He tried to sit up, but one of the Aurors pushed him back down. One of his eyes started seeing red. Blood. His scar must be bleeding.
"Dumbledore." He gasped out. The Auror nodded.
"Already been sent for, son. He's on his way." Harry nodded, trying to breath in something more than gasps. They were becoming shorter. Harry rolled his head to see Draco standing there, paler than usual. He reached out a hand to him. Draco came up to the bed.
"Draco." He gasped. "I – Matthew." Draco nodded, knowing what his friend needed. He disappeared. Harry continued to gasp for air,, fighting against the shaking in all of his limbs. The Auror continued to insist that he was safe and needed to calm down.
Dumbledore appeared suddenly, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape with him, Madame Pomfrey already raging about too many people near her now patient. Matthew pushed his way through everyone lese, ignored the Auror, and climbed onto the bed and gathered the shaking teen into his arms.
"It's okay, Harry. I'm here. Just focus on my voice." Harry listened to Matthew, and eventually, but extremely slowly, he came out of his panic attack. He was still shaking, but was now in control of himself. He clung to Matthew and allowed Madame Pomfrey to pour a Calming Potion down his throat and treat his scar. Dumbledore stopped her when she opened the Dreamless Sleep.
"Harry, I loathe to ask you." Harry only nodded.
"856 Seban Avenue. Northamshire." He told Dumbledore. "Muggles. One already dead. Another may be soon." Dumbledore nodded to Snape, who handed madame Pomfrey a vial before leaving as quickly as he had come. Harry again marveled at the man's silence. Harry recognized the Mind's Snare in the little vial. Madame Pomfrey uncorked it and handed it to Harry, who downed it quickly. He must have started withdrawal, because the rest of the fogginess in his head, as well as his shaking, disappeared.
"Sleep now, Harry. You have done more than enough." Harry could do little more than nod before he succumbed to the combined strength of the potions he had been given. Matthew smiled down at him and settled him back in bed. One of the Aurors stepped forward.
"If you would show me to your nearest connected fireplace, we'll be able to send someone to check on that." He said to Dumbledore. Dumbledore merely smiled at the man.
"Already taken care of, dear boy. I think it's time to allow the children to go back to sleep." With those words to the utterly dumbfounded Auror, Dumbledore turned and left the room, the nurse and Professor McGonagall close behind him. The Auror stood there, nearly speechless at what Dumbledore had said. Draco shrugged and got back into bed. They had a prank to play in the morning.
Harry, Draco, and Hermione all settled at the Gryffindor table for breakfast the next morning. Harry had dark smudges under his eyes. He had slept after his vision, and slept well, but he was always left feeling exhausted. He put his head down on the table and shut his eyes. He only hoped he wouldn't fall asleep in court today.
The trio had already bisited the kitchens. Dobby had been enthusiastic to see all three of them. Dobby's promise to help them eased their nerves about the prank. Dobby had assured them that their victims would get the needed dose. They had gone to the Great Hall from there and now they were waiting for breakfast to appear.
Draco and Hermione were talking softly between the two of them. Harry opened one eye and studied them. They were talking as old friends would. He decided that that was a good thing. Harry had started a letter to Ron, explaining some of his situation. He had yet to finish it. Ron had really ticked him off, and Harry was trying to sound perfectly calm in his letter. It hadn't happened so far.
"There they are." Hermione whispered. Harry didn't even need to turn to know who "they" were. Crabbe and Goyle had entered the room. He turned back to his place as food appeared. The trio grinned at each other and started into their breakfast. They would know when their prank was completed. The other students would be an adequate indicator of success. Harry secretely hoped one or two students would fall out of their seats. If a professor laughed, all the better.
Harry didn't need to wait long. A few snickers started to emerge from around the room. Then the laughter started. Harry, Draco, and Hermione all turned to see Crabbe and Goyle, both looking like female Hufflepuff students, complete with long, curly hair, long eyelashes, and rouged cheeks. The Gryffindor table exploded in hysteria. Several students fell off the benches and continued to laugh on the floor. Harry shot a quick glance at Professor Snape and swore he saw a smile pass over the man's face before he started to look as though he was going to hex the pranksters into the next plane of existence. Crabbe and Goyle made their retreat, followed closely by Madame Pomfrey. Draco pulled himself back up onto the bench and gasped weakly.
"Well done." Draco congratulated his two partners. "I think we needed that." Harry nodded while Hermione wiped tears away.
"Oh, yes. We definitely needed that." Harry agreed while he turned back to his breakfast. "I will cherish that image today, in case Malfoy says something that ticks me off." Draco nodded.
"Use Occlumency. Same effect. Less chance of laughing." Harry only shrugged before finishing his breakfast and standing. Draco immediately followed and they both waved to Hermione as they left the Great hall. Harry's two Aurors fell behind them, talking to each other in low tones. The two boys trudged up to Dumbledore's office and greeted him with cheerful good mornings.
"Good morning, you little trouble makers." Snape greeted them from the corner. They both turned and smiled at their professor.
"How'd you know it was us?" Draco demanded of the man. "You have no proof." Severus raised a thoughtful finger to his face, looking as though he was thinking deeply about an earth-shattering event. He just shrugged and looked towards the sky.
"I hate to pay any Gryffindors a compliment, but I know of only three people who are able to pull off a stunt like that. Two of them are standing before me." Harry grinned.
"Sorry, professor. We can't keep their secrets. My bodyguards are guilty." Dumbledore conveniently ducked his head under the desk as though he dropped a lemon drop, while Draco collapsed into the nearest chair. Severus merely glared at the two bodyguards, whom immediately started denying the whole thing. Severus stepped forward and transferred his glare to Harry.
"Boys will be boys." Dumbledore intoed, emerging from beneath his desk, bag of lemon drops clutched firmly in his hand. "I do believe that it is almost time for court to start again." Dumbledore said, urging the boys to the fireplace. "Fortunately, Severus has agreed to accompany you both yet again." Draco let out a small cheer, while Harry gave a round of applause. "Ah, I see you appreciate him. That's good. Have a, well, illuminating day, shall we say, hmm?" Harry took a fistful of Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.
"Definitely, sir." He said. "Ministry of Magic!" Harry swirled away in colorful flames, making his usual stumbling entrance to the building. Today was going to be the day that the truth about Lucius Malfoy would be told. Today would decide Tom's fate. Harry was determined to have his family back again.
The courtroom was packed, every seat filled with the curious and interested. The judge ordered the doors shut and locked to control the mob that raged outside. Harry figured that they hadn't calmed down from the previous day's events. His scar had started hurting the minute that they walked into the courtroom. Malfoy was there, trying his best to look benevolent. He wasn't doing a very good job. Harry, Draco, and Severus sat between the two bodyguards. Harry could do little more than wave to Mr. Connell before the court began. Tom was still in protective custody, which irked Harry to the extreme, although he was glad that he was, at least, safe from others who wished him harm. He just wanted to see Tom, to reassure himself that the older man was okay.
"Defense calls Harry Potter to the stand!" Harry took a deep breath and rose to his feet. People around him started to whisper. Harry figured that few of them had seen him before, and considered him a novelty. He wondered when everyone would quit staring at his scar. He ran a hand through his hair, moving his hair aside to reveal his scar. Let them stare. He was going to free Tom. Harry was sworn in and took a seat. "Your Honor, may I have your permission to cast the Veritas spell?" Several people in the courtroom erupted. The Veritas spell had the witness relieve the memories as evidence, and the memories were displayed on screen, with an emotions gauge on the side, revealing the witness's emotions from the event. The spell fell out of use from several traumatic episodes that left the witnesses so distraught that their trials needed long recesses, rescheduled, or cancelled due to the witness' inability to continue.
"Mr. Potter, would you be able to relive some painful memories?" she asked, with an odd twinge in her voice, as though afraid of what he would say. Harry shrugged.
"They're all in my mind, Your Honor." He answered. "I live through them anyway." He told her, shrugging. "Just a matter of which one." She nodded and sighed.
"I'll allow it. Mr. Potter, we will stop, whether or not you wish it." Harry sighed.
"What if we set up a codeword for me to say when I'm ready to stop, or need to stop?" The judge frowned.
"Very well. I'll allow it. You set the code word." Harry thought for a moment.
"Gryffindor." Harry said. A few people laughed at Harry's choice, but the judge smiled and nodded. Mr. Connell moved forward and raised his wand.
"Veritas Oratio." The spell hit Harry. He gripped the arms of his chair and took a few deep breaths, adjusting to the feeling. "Are you alright, Harry?" Harry looked up and nodded. "Good." He waited until Harry pulled himself up in the chair. "Harry, could you tell me what your life with the Dursleys was like before you knew you were a wizard?"
"Uh, what would you like to know?" Harry knew that a thousand possibilities were flashing on the screen behind him.
"Birthdays must have been big events in your family. Could you show us your, oh, eighth birthday?" Harry thought back and nodded. Even as he did so, several people frowned.
"Good." He thought. "I just hope that I don't cause the Dursleys' deaths. I already have too much guilt." Harry noticed that the memory was over and looked up.
"Are you alright?" Mr. Connell asked.
"Fine, sir." Harry said, sitting up a little bit straighter.
"All right. What happened when you found out that you were a wizard? You didn't know, did you?" Harry shook his head. The memory of the day came into his mind, with only the detail of Hagrid using magic left out. Harry idly wondered how he had managed that, considering the spell forced the complete truth out of a person.
"Harry, could you show us the events of the beginning of the summer?" Harry took a deep breath and nodded, remembering all of his previous summers and what they had been like. He arrived at the summer after his fifth year and closed his eyes. It had been terrible. He wondered what it was like, seeing his memories play like a television. A few gasps went up, one from the judge herself. The Death Eater caused a worse reaction. A few people stood, while others wanted the man identified. Harry sighed again. He knew Dudley was on the screen. Even Mr. Connell was distressed by what he had seen.
"Still alright, Harry?" Harry nodded. "Your last memory ended when, er, what did happen?"
"I think I was knocked out, sir." Harry answered.
"Ah, what happened when you woke up?" Harry thought about it. Mr. Connell nodded as it came on the screen. "I see. You first thought that Headmaster Dumbledore had taken you from your relatives, correct?" Harry nodded. "What was your first encounter with Voldemort?" Harry briefly thought about his encounter as a baby, but dismissed it. A few gasps from the crowd told him that they saw it anyway. He decided to get it over with and thought of his remaining encounters with Voldemort, starting with his one in first year and on through the one at the end of his fifth year. He stopped there and pushed away the memories. They were a lot to take at one time, especially in such quick succession. He glanced at Draco and saw his friend flash him a thumbs-up. Harry nodded slightly, knowing that his memories were doing what they needed them to do.
"Thank you, Harry." Mr. Connell said, giving Harry a glass of water. Harry nodded his thanks and took a sip. "Could you tell us what a typical day with Mr. Riddle was like?" Harry nodded and thought back to the day he had mastered animate/inanimate transfiguration. He grinned to himself as he remembered Tom's face. Harry had never seen such pride about one of his accomplishments from an adult before. It had surprised him, made him remember that Tom truly cared for him in a way that the Dursleys would never think about.
From the lesson, Harry went to football practice with Matthew. A few wizards looked confused, while others, the ones familiar with Muggle sports, smiled as they watched Harry block goals and run with his team. A quick walk back and a snack later found Harry back in the library with Tom, studying potions. Harry saw Severus raise an eyebrow at what they had been doing, but Harry could justify it later by the fact that Tom was an adult. Harry couldn't help it if they had found a recipe to make the drinker invisible. Harry only hoped that Professor Snape wouldn't think that Harry used it. Not that he didn't use it; he just didn't use it to break rules. Their evening was spent playing chess together, with Harry getting soundly beaten by Tom, and then Tom showing him where he made his numerous mistakes.
He sat back as the memory finished, recalling his feelings from that night, safe, secure, and wanted. He looked up at the court and smiled. That was the real Tom. He hoped that he made his point. "Thank you, Harry. I recall that you had another encounter with Voldemort a very short time ago. Could you tell us about that?" Harry hesitated, not wanting anyone to know about his addiction to the Mind's Snare. "Harry, they need to know." Mr. Connell said. Harry nodded and thought about the train ride home from Hogwarts to the train station, and how the wizard had crept up behind him.
The events happened quickly after that, with the court figuring out quickly that something wasn't right. They had accepted the fact that Harry had disguised himself, and that he had been kidnapped. They almost rioted at the treatment he received, the dungeons, and finally, Malfoy coming in and trying to attack him, especially after he tried the Unforgivable curses. Malfoy immediately started fighting his way to the door. Using the Unforgivable curses were enough to send someone to Azkaban, and Malfoy certainly did not want to return there. He hexed several Aurors on his way through, but paused at the door and turned and glared at Harry. "This isn't over, Potter!" He shouted before disappearing.
"No, it isn't, Voldemort." Harry whispered to himself. He was upset that Malfoy had gotten away, but he was glad that they knew the truth now.
"Well, all we can do about him is throw him in Azkaban for the curses, Mr. Potter." Harry nodded, knowing that his memories weren't enough to prove that Malfoy was Voldemort. He looked to Mr. Connell.
"No further questions." Mr. Connell said, motioning to prosecution. The prosecutor shook his head.
"No questions, your Honor." He said. He knew that he already lost this case. There was no way that he would be able to convict Riddle of being Voldemort. He had seen the evidence already, and it didn't matter what Fudge was paying him, he refused to convict an innocent man.
"Defense calls Draco Malfoy to the stand, also under the Veritas Spell." The judge nodded her permission. The questioning started with what Lucius Malfoy was like at home with his family. The memories of abuse mirrored those of Harry's only at the hands of his father and mother, rather than his cousin. Dobby featured in them, taking care of Draco when he was hurt or needed someone. Harry felt a prick of guilt, knowing that Draco had lost that support when he was only twelve. Draco shrugged towards him, telling him it didn't matter. Harry made a mental note to ask Draco if he was a Legmillins. It seemed that Draco could read his thoughts too well.
"What happened this summer?" Mr. Connell prompted. Another series of images started, with Malfoy becoming more concerned with power. Draco managed to avoid him for a while, and was quite relieved when he went to school. When he returned home, his father had inducted him to his Death Eaters, complete with his own version of the Dark Mark. Harry unconsciously scooted closer to Severus as the other memories started coming, of the time that he had spent in the dungeons. The judge motioned to Mr. Connell to cancel the spell. "Finite Incantatem." Draco looked up and nodded to Mr. Connell.
"Let the court records show that Mr. Malfoy is now known as Voldemort, thanks to the evidence provided by Draco Malfoy. Tom Marvolo Riddle is cleared and acquitted of all charges." Harry jumped up out of his seat and let out a cheer, Draco joining him in just seconds. "Mr. Potter, I assume that you would like your guardian back now?"
"Please." He answered. She sat up a little taller and cleared her throat.
"Bring in Mr. Riddle, please." One of the few Aurors remaining in the room nodded and went through a small door. He returned a few minutes later, leading Tom. He stopped when the judge signaled him to do so. "Mr. Riddle, you have been cleared of all charges." Harry couldn't wait any longer. He tackled Tom, whom happily fell to the floor with the teenager on top of him. "You may apply for full custody of Mr. Potter after an inspection of your premises and an interview with Social Services." Tom thanked her from his position on the floor.
"We did it. I'm home." Harry whispered. Tom simply held him tighter, wondering what he had done to deserve such a child. "Can we go home now?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry. We can go home."
A/N: Not the end by any stretch of the imagination.