Chapter 21: And the Rest
While Narcissa grinned, awash with every single positive emotion it was possible to feel, two fingertips touched the back of her left hand. She turned her head toward Lucius and tilted it closer so that he could speak more directly into her ear.
"Trust him to make a spectacle," Lucius said with a glance toward the courtroom door.
Narcissa chuckled and lightly tapped Lucius' knee. "Let them be happy. This is a very good thing."
"Our son snogging the apparent Dark Lord in the Wizengamot's court?"
Eyebrows raised, Narcissa assessed Lucius. When he smiled back at her, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. She leaned close to his ear to reply. "Maybe I ought to do the same for you on Wednesday. Hm?"
"Oh, please."
Narcissa laughed, for she couldn't tell if Lucius admonished her or asked for it. She likely wouldn't. Lucius had never been a fan of public affection, and Narcissa wouldn't put him in a position where he either had to tolerate it or risk appearing as though he rejected his wife on such a thing. Even them talking like this with an occasional brushing touch was more than the usual insight they'd publicly offer into their marriage. They were far from the centre of attention at the moment, although still sat right in front of Harry Potter and Arthur and Ginny Weasley.
Draco and Dagmar were shepherded out of the courtroom. Narcissa rose along with Lucius, Wes, and Hildegard to follow. The kids were all grins when they converged in the great room at Malfoy Manor. Dagmar wiped her eyes before placing a brief hand to her chest in a show of relief. She released Draco so that she could squeeze Hildegard. Narcissa took her next, then Lucius and Wes.
"This is good," Kingsley said when they'd all settled. "It's the solid start we needed to set the foundation for the week. The Wizengamot recognizes that Voldemort is alive and well inside Dagmar. They recognize the circumstances and magic that led to that being the case. They'll be better ready to see each of your individual situations, as far as that goes."
Narcissa's nerves cleared like clouds scattering to expose a hot sun behind them. The same couldn't be said for the other three quite yet, so Narcissa remained quiet out of respect and lingering concern while they waited to head back to the Ministry in the afternoon. Despite her confidence, Narcissa didn't have much of an appetite. She hoped that her trial went as quickly as Dagmar's did.
Her stomach fluttered as Kingsley walked alongside her onto the floor of Courtroom Ten. The spectators had taken their seats already on either side, as had the Wizengamot ahead and above her. Narcissa looked over at Lucius and Wes in attempt to ground herself. The two of them and Hildegard sat where they had for Dagmar's trial. Draco, Andie, Ted, Theo, and Daphne sat two rows behind them.
"I bid a good afternoon to my fellow members of the Wizengamot," Kingsley started his opening statement with. "Like I did this morning with Dagmar, I will begin by offering an overview to the Wizengamot for the record's sake.
"Narcissa has spent the majority of the last year hidden under a Fidelius Charm cast by Voldemort, with Bellatrix Lestrange as the Secret Keeper. Because of this, my case for her relies mostly upon the consistency of memories provided. I do have a small number of witnesses to corroborate said memories, one being myself. You will also hear from Dagmar, so that she may recount her own experience on the hafgufa as far as it relates to Narcissa. Harry Potter will return to offer his account of reversing the Fidelius Charm, since he was present at Azkaban on March sixteenth when the secret was removed from Bellatrix's soul."
Kingsley went into his overview, with that. Narcissa's involvement had begun back in 1990 when she first met Hildegard, Erik, and Dagmar. They had all hesitated on including Draco and Dagmar's arranged marriage in their defences, but it provided important context. Since both Draco and Dagmar deemed it acceptable (really, compared to everything else coming out, it was hardly anything), Narcissa tried not to let her family's private affairs being publicly aired bother her.
The Wizengamot heard from Kingsley the rationale that had led to Narcissa setting in motion the arranged marriage, that it stemmed from concern about Draco's proximity to Voldemort. Kingsley left out that Draco had been previously arranged to Pansy, and Dagmar to Blaise, in hopes that their families could be exempt from the same scrutiny the Malfoys and Ramstads received this week. It wasn't necessary to say anything other than 'previous betrothals' when Kingsley discussed Hildegard's awareness that Dagmar had no sympathies with Voldemort's cause. Narcissa wanted Draco away from all this, so Dagmar was a suitable choice. She didn't want Pansy ('Draco's previous betrothal') to be dragged in, so going back on that discussion was the better choice for the Parkinsons ('the family of Draco's previous betrothal') since they had never been involved with the Death Eaters. As close to Voldemort as the Malfoy's found themselves again, it made more sense for appearance's sake that Draco be betrothed to a child of fellow Death Eaters.
That notion allowed Kingsley to bring up the recurring theme of how playing into Voldemort's hand was the best chance anyone had to bring about his demise, whether that be death, defeat, capture, or some combination of the three. They'd achieved that, so Narcissa couldn't see how it wouldn't hold merit with the Wizengamot. She just hoped it wouldn't hurt Lucius come Wednesday, when he sat where Narcissa did.
Narcissa shifted with discomfort as Kingsley's overview reached the point where her and Lucius' paths began to diverge. Kingsley took care to mention that Narcissa had no idea about the situation's inner workings as far as Dagmar carrying a fragment of Voldemort's soul went. Despite the reminder, Narcissa still felt bad that she had created so much extra stress in Lucius' life.
She looked over at him as Kingsley told the Wizengamot about Dagmar being summoned to speak with Voldemort, and how Narcissa didn't know until a week afterward that Draco had come away injured by Lucius' cane. Lucius' gaze was down, his face long with shame to not only have this exposed but to revisit it at all. Narcissa concerned that it might poison the Wizengamot against him, but this courtroom was a place for truth. It all had to be laid out. Draco too looked like he wished he sat closer to Lucius, but the row between them was reserved for the witnesses after they'd said their part.
Unbecoming as it was to sit in a slump, Narcissa leaned more on one armrest and balled her fist against her cheek. She didn't enjoy for a minute listening to Kingsley recount the steps she'd taken to leave her marriage. Coming up to March nineteenth of last year, the day Narcissa left, her vision blurred as the weight of it all became too much. On top of all the regret and guilt, it also had to be stated for the record that Narcissa had been subjected to a Cruciatus Curse from Bella. Months of seclusion and imprisonment followed that on the island until Wes first arrived in June. It had been a very sad and hopeless time for Narcissa.
She had relived this period plenty of times in trial preparation. Narcissa would've thought the emotional part of it would fall to the wayside, but not so much with such an audience to hear it. She wiped frequently at her cheeks with the sleeve of her robes. Whenever she had to sniffle, she tried to keep it quiet. Even then, Narcissa imagined the sound of it carried to every corner of the room. It wasn't as exciting to hear about how she'd slowly gained the Dark Lord's trust with new perspective of just how much danger she had been in. She'd been held captive. Only three people in the entire world had known where she was. Being taken to visit Bergen had been a cruel spike of hope before Narcissa's situation grew even more dire. She'd walked into Azkaban with the Dark Lord, Bella, and the others. She'd plotted in Death Eater headquarters to bring Voldemort down. Had she, Lucius, Wes, and Hildegard ever been discovered. . .
By the end of Kingsley's opening statement, Narcissa was emotionally exhausted. It didn't get any better when Dagmar came out as the first witness and recounted her own time on the island as far as it related to Narcissa. Potter followed to discuss mostly on Dumbledore's behalf how Narcissa had become a person of interest to the Order of the Phoenix well before her disappearance. They had planned to search for her, but then decided against it when the letter Narcissa left Draco implied she had found her own way to safety. Potter then discussed the Fidelius Charm, relaying to the Wizengamot how Helka had been able to remove the secret from Bellatrix's soul. Voldemort, as the person who had cast the Fidelius Charm, could have done that. To Potter it seemed telling that Voldemort never did. Even though he'd treated Narcissa as a confidant, he never quite fully trusted her.
"Your closing statement?" Madam Bones asked Kingsley.
"Quite simply, Narcissa Malfoy had no choice toward being dragged into all of this," Kingsley said. "She never had any direct involvement with the Death Eaters during the first wave of this war. Unaware of what work Lucius did for Voldemort, Narcissa was willing to sacrifice her marriage to get away from it all. Bellatrix robbed her of that chance. Narcissa became a prisoner, but used her position for subterfuge. She requested the Dark Mark and became close to Voldemort on a personal level. She was able, along with the others working against him on the inside of his organization, to fool him regarding where her loyalty laid.
"Narcissa understood before it was explicitly stated that the best way to defeat Voldemort was to help him reach his goal of locating Luca Parasca. She played a tertiary role in Voldemort's capture. She helped keep me—and Dagmar, as you heard—calm and safe when we found ourselves in the midst of his operations. At heart, she is not a Death Eater. Had these circumstances not arisen, Narcissa would not have put herself willingly in this situation. Thank you."
Despite all the evidence and testimony, anxiety piqued within Narcissa when Madam Bones opened the Wizengamot to the vote as to whether or not she was guilty of Death Eater activity. Narcissa planted her face in her hands out of relief when she garnered the same result as Dagmar. Not a single hand rose in the air.
"Very well," Madam Bones said when she finished writing at her seat. "As determined by the Wizengamot, Narcissa Malfoy, you are deemed innocent on the charge you faced today. You are free to go. Your wand will be returned to you, and your stymy removed. When you return home today, you will not need to be warded in. Of course, you will still need to adhere to the policies set in place at your home by Magical Enforcement. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Narcissa nodded, her voice constrained due to the tightness in her throat. "I understand completely."
"The Wizengamot recognizes the gamble you took, to help bring this war to an end. You put yourself in a position of potential great peril. You were tortured, tormented, and imprisoned by your own blood. There is nothing to be done now that could ever undo that, but I would like to extend gratitude for your service. The Ministry of Magic acknowledges it, and it won't soon be forgotten."
Led by Kingsley, Narcissa headed into the same side chamber that the witnesses had entered the courtroom through. Her stymy had just been removed when the door opened again behind her. Eyes wet and shiny, Andie opened her arms to bring Narcissa into a tight, brief hug.
"What a relief that's over," Andie said with a sigh next to Narcissa's ear. "Well? What's the first order of business?"
Narcissa furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"
"You're free! You could go anywhere you want. Diagon Alley, London, my home. . .anywhere."
It was an idea that might take some getting used to. Since everyone else still remained cooped up at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa couldn't really think of anywhere else she'd want to be right now.
Wand in hand, Narcissa ended up going to Diagon Alley with Andie (sending word along with Kingsley to Malfoy Manor that she should be expected shortly enough). She had it in mind to fetch something for everyone. Lucius had a favourite pastry, Wes some sweets he'd been daydreaming about, Draco and Dagmar the same, and Hildegard had started swallowing frequently when a discussion of chocolate-dipped fruit came up at dinner a few nights ago.
Stares came wherever she and Andie went. Narcissa pat one of her robe pockets out of habit to check for the compact she normally carried. Her first instinct was something on her face. She should've known better, though. As her trial moved further past, the media pit that had been present would have informed the others camped out in the Atrium. From there, news of what Narcissa had done—what she had endured—would have started seeping out into general wizarding society.
It took Narcissa and Andie long enough to get everything that when they arrived at Malfoy Manor, all the others had buckled down to start work for tomorrow. Even Draco and Dagmar had stayed downstairs, which surprised Narcissa. She would've figured they'd hightail it immediately up to Draco's room to properly celebrate the outcome of Dagmar's trial.
They slunk off later, after dessert. Narcissa didn't blame them. She felt much the same way, all pent-up with vibrant energy that could certainly use some exercising. Lucius and Wes both had the same look about them if Narcissa ever made eye contact with either one. That only got worse after Hildegard eventually excused herself to bed. Maybe it was the wine Narcissa had continued to nurse into the evening, but a silly mood came easy as she sat between Lucius and Wes on one of the great room couches. The Aurors had even made themselves scarce, choosing instead to occupy the drawing room tonight.
Occasionally, one would pass through. Every time they did, Narcissa would go quiet. She had to suppress a new giggle once they were gone. The only way Narcissa felt better was to have Lucius' hand rested on her knee. She played with Wes' fingers on the other side.
Lucius studied Narcissa with a glint in his eye as a new warmth rose in her cheeks. "Surely you haven't had that much to drink."
"No," Narcissa said. "It's just been a good day. I can't help feeling like this. I'll be even happier once you two are done with the Wizengamot."
"Same." Wes swirled the wine he'd been working on since dinner. He'd become comfortable enough after they all settled here to give social drinking a new chance. It seemed accurate to say at this point that the alcohol itself wasn't the problem. "I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but so far this is going as well as possible. It's a good sign."
"Mhm," Lucius agreed.
As fresh silence draped down over them, Narcissa felt glad that they had scheduled their sleeping arrangements. If it was up to Narcissa every night to decide whose bed she'd slip into, she wouldn't be able to make a decision right now. She wished she could sleep how she was at the moment—settled between both.
It grew darker outside as the sun settled more below the horizon. Narcissa sighed after the last of her wine had disappeared. "Well, another big day tomorrow. Thankfully not as long."
"I wouldn't mind turning in either," Wes said. "This whole week is going to be exhausting. We might as well store up energy where we can."
Upstairs, Dagmar's current shadow-Auror stood out in the corridor. Thankfully there was nothing to hear from inside, which made it hard for Narcissa once she, Lucius, and Wes reached the end of the corridor to say a final goodnight. She was due with Wes tonight, and he didn't seem in much rush either. Shoulder against the wall and grinning lazily, Lucius was just as content to waylay them.
Every time they angled toward separating, someone would say something that drew them all right back into conversation. Narcissa was just as guilty as the other two in elongating it. Should either of the two suggest it. . .
A nice silence chased in after their laughter died down again. Wes drew in a long breath, which put Narcissa on edge that he might be the one to break this. "Maybe we came up too fast."
"Well, there's no sense going back down," Lucius replied. "We could always take up in the alcove until you two are ready to settle. Another glass of wine might help."
Narcissa turned her attention to Wes to see where his head was on being invited into the master bedroom. If Narcissa had misinterpreted the air between the three of them, she'd be the one to decline the idea on his behalf.
Wes looked right back at Narcissa, seeking her opinion in kind. It was her and Lucius' space, and had been ever since Abraxas passed away. It stood to reason that if Lucius welcomed him in, it ought to be fine. Wes didn't look uncomfortable with it, even though he was aware any contact between all three might culminate in something between him and Lucius. He apparently hadn't been scandalized by some light flirting when the two of them were alone. Had he been, Narcissa was sure she would've heard about it.
She hooked her fingers into Wes'. "Come on, then."
No matter how casually Narcissa said that, her heartbeat still rose in her throat as she led Wes over the threshold. He looked around, curious but not nervous. If he was, Narcissa figured she would be able to tell from a clammy hand.
Lucius took lead over to the far end of the bedroom. The alcove led through to the balcony, and beyond it was a slightly purple southern sky. Narcissa hadn't thought until they arrived here that the alcove only had two seats. Had she her wand, she could've transfigured something into a third chair. Narcissa was happy in a way she didn't need an excuse to make them all more cozy. She caught Lucius' eye. Whether he read her right or had already thought ahead, he ended up pulling his chair closer. Narcissa was able to put her feet in his lap after taking a seat in Wes'.
The wine came after Narcissa summoned one of the house elves, but none of them really touched it. Lucius took to mindlessly pressing his thumbs into the arches of Narcissa's feet. Narcissa toyed with Wes' hair, and Wes grew more relaxed in how he held Narcissa about the middle. The darker the sky outside grew, the more the room gave way to torchlight. Narcissa couldn't help but eye Lucius, for dim and intimate had always highlighted his best physical features. The longer Narcissa steeped in the hum around them, the warmer her blood grew.
Wes shifted underneath Narcissa as her weight eventually became too much. She gave him a break by switching over to Lucius' lap. As much as she wanted to put her feet in Wes', he didn't make it easy. A cheeky little smile would be followed by his fingers rapidly brushing against the underside in a tickle. Eventually he stopped so that he could carry on where Lucius had left off.
Narcissa sighed as another comfortable silence fell over them. "Well? How long are we going to dance around it?"
Wes' touch slowed on Narcissa's foot, as did Lucius' on her hip. It went quiet enough for Narcissa to hear Lucius swallow. She also knew too well the look in Wes' eyes. Maybe because Lucius recognized it just as well, he shifted slightly underneath Narcissa. She didn't think it had anything to do with her weight.
"I mean. . ." Wes managed before he needed to clear his throat. "Are we capable of making a decision like that when we're still waiting to see how the week turns out?"
"I don't know that it's relevant," Lucius carefully replied. "It's not as if this is coming out of nowhere. Is it?"
"Not for me," Narcissa said. "Things have been. . ." She looked over at Wes. "I could see where they were heading."
"It's been an idea to adjust to." Wes flashed a nervous smile. "But you're not wrong."
Narcissa's heart picked up. Her lips dried regardless of running her tongue over them, for they fell apart in anticipation as Lucius reached up to undo the buttons Narcissa had left fastened on her nightshirt. She looked down at Lucius to see where his mind was, to see that he in turn gazed at Wes. They were locked in eye contact, Wes' expression turning serious whenever he found it in him to glance at Narcissa. As the buttons came free on her shirt, more of Narcissa's cleavage became visible. The rise and fall in Wes' shoulders became visible when Lucius pulled the hem of Narcissa's shirt up her thighs. Narcissa could pinpoint the second her knickers became visible. Wes' lips parted and his cheeks flushed.
It was almost too much to be the centre of so much focus at once. Narcissa felt like she might burn a hole right through Lucius' lap if one more lick of heat radiated from her. Voice small, she vocalized what all three of them clearly thought: "Bed?"
A fun evening led to a fun morning, after they all wound up too wrecked to split off. Wes dressed haphazardly so that he could dart across the corridor, and Narcissa followed Lucius into the master shower.
"Was it everything you hoped it would be?" Narcissa asked as they both lathered their hair.
"And some." Lucius sighed wistfully. "This week had better go right. I do not want to lose this."
That hit Narcissa like a fist to the throat. They'd discussed the potential for all three of them shagging to not go well. Now that it had, there was something else to potentially lose as this week advanced.
It sobered Narcissa and Lucius up before they headed downstairs. Wes had beat them there, since Theo and Daphne were again due to join them all for breakfast. Daphne tried, anyway. She sat a bit away from the food on the table with Dagmar, Hildegard, and Helka, looking a little green. Dagmar looked like she appreciated trying to distract Daphne from today's bout of morning sickness. Hildegard trembled like a leaf. Narcissa decided to sit next to her, to see if anything could be done about her nerves for the Wizengamot.
Not really, it turned out. Hildegard's ears essentially failed to work as the early morning went on. She just nodded along with anything anyone said to her. Narcissa felt bad to leave her behind as she headed with everyone else to the Ministry. When they were all seated in Courtroom Ten, Madam Bones summoned Hildegard. Narcissa was surprised that she was capable of walking on her own to the central chair.
A lot of the story on how Hildegard wound up here had already been told during Dagmar's trial. For the sake of a new day, Kingsley would have to repeat it. Before he did that, he took Courtroom Ten back to 1813 (he had found records corroborating the date in German archives) and told them all about the life cycle of Hildegard's old clan. There was no way to concretely say when it had been started (other than placing them all in 1350 Roskilde when Hildegard and her sister Aslaug joined), but the end came clear and brutal. To see the family Hildegard had lived with for centuries so senselessly slaughtered had put the fear of wizards in her.
Hildegard had been mostly alone since then, other than Dagmar, Lys, Vann, and Chelone for company. The Dark Lord was the first person outside of her little bubble that she'd met. As Kingsley told the story of those years they spent together, Narcissa walked it in her memory from when Hildegard had shown her. She understood how Hildegard had been fooled through lack of context and high charisma. Since the Wizengamot had surely seen the same memories Narcissa did, how could they not agree?
Kingsley's overview was followed by statements from Dagmar (what she remembered, and her point of view as someone out of the loop), Harry Potter (how he'd done his best to eke some morsel of truth out of Hildegard, and the consequences of said truth), and Helka (who had been present prior to the 1813 slaughter and could corroborate the more distant concepts). Because there was so much time to cover, Hildegard's trial lasted the longest yet. She shook through the whole thing and alternated between a thousand yard stare and a wet face. When it came time for the Wizengamot to make their decision regarding her charges, Hildegard clenched her eyes shut.
Madam Bones looked around at the air decidedly lacking in hands. She gave a firm nod. "Hildegard Ramstad, you are deemed innocent on the charges you faced today. The Wizengamot recognizes that your actions and decisions came from a place of combined ignorance and duress. If there's anything thirty years of war with Voldemort—and this recent view of his inner workings—have taught us, it's that lack of knowledge left us at-risk and vulnerable. Any one individual had no chance."
Hildegard's eyes remained closed and her face down. Silent sobs—relief or resonance, Narcissa had no idea which—wracked her shoulders.
"You are free to go." Madam Bones paused. "However, I would encourage you to not go far. Wizardkind has changed since the days when committing genocide against people like you was sanctioned. It is only recently with your exposure—and its relevance to the war—that we understand the mechanics of how that class of magic functions. Our research into it has only just began. Seeing as you're familiar with the office and the people who work it, it would be mutually beneficial to act as a consult. Nobody should fear for their existence, whether they be a doppelgänger, Muggle-born, werewolf, or anything else that has been met lately with life-threatening prejudice. You have been laid bare during a time of great change. Help us ensure that what happened to you never happens again."
Hildegard nodded, but Narcissa wasn't sure how much of it actually absorbed.
"Your wand will be returned to you, and your stymy removed." Madam Bones returned to business. You will no longer need to be warded in at Malfoy Manor and Ramstad Manor, but will remain free to visit so long as you adhere to the policies set in place. It isn't my call to force you as a free citizen not to use runic magic as an alternative focus, but I won't be able to allow you access to either place if you do. As demonstrated through the memories you provided, they give you the power to remove stymys. You will be given no latitude to undermine the Ministry's authority in that way."
"I understand," Hildegard finally said with a heavy sniffle. "I won't bother with that until the situation has changed."
Hildegard headed off through the side chamber, Dagmar and Helka following from the witness row. Narcissa exhaled, and it felt like she released a breath she hadn't realized she held. She didn't much care to deal with the media swarm again in the Atrium, so she ended up heading out the side door as well.
In there, Hildegard clutched Dagmar so tightly in a hug that it looked more like Dagmar held her upright. Maybe she did. Hildegard had given way completely to grief, sadness, vindication, and whatever else she felt right now. Her entire body wracked when Narcissa squeezed her next.
"It's okay," Narcissa told her. "It's over."
Hildegard nodded against her shoulder. Dagmar sniffled too, wiping her face. When Hildegard could stand straight, Narcissa kept hold of her upper arms.
"You're welcome to stay at the manor still, if you need to," she said. "You're by no means obligated to leave just because the Ministry says you can."
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Hildegard replied. "It's not that I expected to go back to Azkaban, but I didn't really plan my next step either if I went free."
"Then stay for now."
"I thought about trying to go back to Ramstad Manor." Hildegard pressed her lips. "I don't know that the Ramstads mind, but I think they still intend to sell the property."
"Håkon and Agneta said you could until then," Dagmar said. "If you want to buy another place—I mean, you'll have to go to Tellery's to sort out all the legal stuff now you'll have access to the accounts again. All of dad's estate will go back into your name."
"I think you—"
"No," Dagmar cut her off with a decisive point of a finger. "He left it to you. It's yours. We're not having this discussion again."
Hildegard looked too tired to argue. She just nodded as Dagmar looped her arms around one of her mum's and led them out. Kingsley, Draco, Theo, and Daphne had beat them to Malfoy Manor, along with Lucius and Wes. Even though the week still went as expected, what had been dubbed the easy part was now done. Kingsley was a realist before an optimist, so he pegged Lucius and Wes' chances still around fifty-fifty. Even if they didn't go to Azkaban, Kingsley warned them to expect some sort of punishment anyway.
Hildegard had decided to go to Ramstad Manor for the night, so Helka accompanied her after dinner. Dagmar stuck around as the four kids and three parents sat together into the evening. When it came time for bed, Narcissa and Lucius shared a glance before inviting Wes back into the master with them.
They didn't have sex, however nice the distraction would've been. The three of them stayed up perhaps a bit later than they should have anyway, talking. Both Lucius and Wes' fates came down to the morning. If Lucius didn't go to Azkaban tomorrow, then Wes surely wouldn't. If Lucius did, then Wes would have to wait another day to see where he fell along the line of acceptability drawn by the Wizengamot.
Narcissa sat in the same place the next morning as she had for Hildegard's trial. She anticipated another long one, for Lucius' history as a Death Eater was extensive. Kingsley's overview put into context why Lucius ever joined in the first place, as well as made clear that it was a conscious decision. Lucius, like Draco the next generation, had been raised steeped in pureblood supremacist ideology, which eventually became synonymous with Death Eater beliefs.
A line once separated the ideological side of the Dark Lord's followers from the more brutal, active side. Lucius never crossed that as far as pointing his wand at someone intent to kill or torture, but that could wind up mattering little. Lucius had pushed inside the Ministry for legislation to pass that would further the Dark Lord's cause. He had strategically donated gold. He had broken into the Department of Mysteries. He had lied about being under the Imperius Curse, even if he grew disillusioned by then with the Death Eaters as an organization.
Even now, Kingsley said, he personally had no real idea where Lucius stood on the ideology itself. Narcissa hadn't talked to him about it either lately, but the impression she got was decided apathy.
Personal beliefs weren't something that Lucius could be charged regarding, so Kingsley continued on into the context necessary to explain Lucius' actions. He'd lied about the Imperius Curse because the Ministry saw no shades of grey otherwise regarding someone with a Dark Mark on their arm. He had too many examples of how dissidents were treated (Regulus Black and Igor Karkaroff being the prime ones) for Lucius to dare trying the same thing. He opted to stay close to the Dark Lord upon his return, and realized in quite short order that the Dark Lord would not survive the war so long as Bjorn (Luca, now) was found. Lucius had a part through that in bringing the war to an end. It had been him and Hildegard in the end that subdued the Dark Lord in the Chamber of Secrets. The two of them, Narcissa, Wes, and Severus had flipped Hogwarts out of the Death Eaters' hands.
The witness statements to follow all corroborated one way or another. Kingsley went then into his closing statement.
"There is little doubt that Lucius has done wrong," he said. "The evidence is clear that Lucius did right as well, particularly where it mattered most. Only someone that had fooled Voldemort toward apparent loyalty could have found himself in such a position to do so.
"This begs the question of who exactly Lucius Malfoy is loyal to, if not Voldemort. He became a Death Eater because of loyalty to the belief that pure bloodlines trumped those of half or Muggle descent. He was loyal to his father, one of Voldemort's first Death Eaters. Loyalty to his wife and son eclipsed that toward the end of the first wave of war, and remains his primary motivation today. He lied to stay out of Azkaban in part to stay with them. He returned to Voldemort's side in 1995 to ensure Voldemort had no motivation to hunt them down like he did Igor Karkaroff. He stayed close to Voldemort after learning what the chink in his power was, to ensure it panned out. He weathered Azkaban, rejection from his family, and risked his life in the end to help capture Voldemort.
"Lucius did all this aware that Voldemort being defeated left him vulnerable to the harshest punishments this congress has to offer," Kingsley continued. "He accepted the chance that helping end the war might change his fate. What was right mattered at the most crucial moment. I myself would certainly not be advocating for Lucius if I didn't believe some sort of leniency ought be offered out of respect for the good he has done. It is up to the rest of you to decide if, in the end, it outweighs the rest. Thank you."
"Thank you, Mr Shacklebolt," Madam Bones replied. "Members of the Wizengamot, please raise your hand if you believe, based on the evidence and testimonies provided by Kingsley Shacklebolt today, that Lucius Malfoy is guilty of at least one crime he has been charged with today."
For the sake of leniency, Kingsley had forewarned them to expect that hands would go up. It still scared Narcissa, especially when all of them did. She slipped a hand into Draco's, squeezing as tightly as she possibly could.
Determining which charges Lucius was guilty of went on horrendously long. That there were no murder or torture charges kept Narcissa from falling apart. Lucius had committed perjury by lying about the Imperius Curse, and he was found guilty of Death Eater activity.
Madam Bones registered that before setting her quill down again. "Moving onto sentencing then, we will cast another vote. Members of the Wizengamot, please raise your hands again if you believe Lucius Malfoy is fitting of punishment alternative to time sentenced in Azkaban."
Hands were more hesitant now, but they still rose. Narcissa slumped in absolute relief when the supermajority threshold of thirty-five was beat by a mere three.
Madam Bones registered the vote again before returning her attention to Lucius. "Lucius Malfoy, the Wizengamot has deemed you guilty of perjury and Death Eater activity. Because these two crimes do not exist within a vacuum, you will not be sent to Azkaban today.
"That does not, however, mean that you are free to go. You were given a second chance back in 1981 based on shaky faith, and the third chance you've received today is no different. Regardless of the role you played in helping us end this war, your actions for the last seventeen years hardly inspire. Trust runs low, and you will be watched very closely going forward.
"As part of that, your wand will not be returned to you. Your stymy will remain in-place indefinitely. You will report to the head office for Magical Enforcement tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock, where your wand will be formally snapped and we will discuss the terms of your continued residence within general wizarding society. We will also discuss the terms of your service."
Lucius' lips parted while Madam Bones spoke. Narcissa's too, for she heard between the lines what that meant. Lucius would never be permitted to use magic again. The Ministry intended to put him to work. Narcissa wondered what Madam Bones meant by terms of residence. That was probably the fine Kingsley mentioned potential for.
"Yes ma'am," Lucius finally said.
"You will remain warded to Malfoy Manor and Ramstad Manor until then. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
Narcissa rose from her seat when Madam Bones banged her gavel a final time and dismissed the court session. Others in her row attempting to stand made room so that she could pass. Kingsley led Lucius out Courtroom Ten's main doors, intent that way for Malfoy Manor. They had just stepped into the corridor when Narcissa caught up.
She held Lucius by the elbow as she appraised him. "Are you all right?"
His expression bordered on unreadable, it was so straight. Shock paled Lucius slightly. He blinked at the question, seeming to come back to himself. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Well, yes—"
Arms went around Narcissa's middle, and she was suddenly being squeezed. So was her throat from the emotions that finally caught up. Narcissa returned his embrace, aware she rumpled Lucius' robes and mussed up his hair. Narcissa's makeup was already a lost cause.
It was such a silly thing to worry about right now. They shouldn't be worried about anything. Although ecstatic, Narcissa remembered too clearly from her time on the island how losing the free use of her magic felt like losing a limb. Lucius' freedom had cost a fundamental part of himself.
"I would have lost it anyway if I went to Azkaban," Lucius said. "I'll be fine, Narcissa."
"Okay." Narcissa wondered if it would hit more fully later on for Lucius that he had essentially been rendered a Squib. "Where's Wes? Let's get home."