Technically the best the so-called defence team could bring to bear was certain past doings of Lucius and company for the Ministry, claiming that no one who did so much philanthropic work for them could possibly have raised a son who was a serial rapist. A weak defence at best, but considering all the evidence Harry and company had against them, it was all they had … and it could only get worse.
Even their best defence, after having to take Veritaserum, would seem like it was helping the prosecution, but not even Lucius's best lawyers could find a way around it without casting suspicion on themselves. Even then, they had no idea that Harry intended to challenge Lucius to take some himself when he decided to act as a character witness in his son's behalf and not even his purported reputation for philanthropy would be able to get him out of having to take it.
All the same, everyone who was there the first day was there on the second, although the witnesses who had testified previously were now sitting in the observers' section along with Harry and the Weasley family. Once again Draco was sitting in the criminals' chair, chained securely, and the Veritaserum was brought to him. He stiffened and his fists clenched, but he took it.
"Now, young Mr. Malfoy, if you would kindly give us your account of what happened on June 18, 1997," the head of the Wizengamot stated.
Harry and company couldn't help exchanging grins. With Veritaserum, Draco would be obliged to tell the truth and end up incriminating himself in the bargain. Harry didn't see any way in the world that he could possibly weasel out of this—and frankly, after what he had subjected those girls to, especially Ginny, he deserved whatever he got and then some.
It was really too bad that Harry hadn't thought to hire a gorgeous streetwalker to go to the Malfoy home and ambush Draco in his bedroom, ravishing him as he had those girls … and then turn around and claim that he had assaulted her. It would be priceless! Unfortunately that would likely have made him look just as bad as Draco, even as pleasant a scenario as that was, so Harry had to put that out of his mind. The real-life scenario was going to be priceless enough, because Harry knew that he literally had Draco and company dead to rights.
"Well … I had done some research on the family of Harry Potter," he said, knowing that every word he said brought him closer to a life stint in Azkaban, but the Veritaserum controlled him and he could not do otherwise.
"For what purpose?" came the next question.
"I … wanted to see how they felt about him. If they … disliked him as I do, I intended to see if they would be willing to work with me against him."
"Did you succeed?"
"I … found one member of his family, his cousin Dudley Dursley."
"Did he agree to help you?"
"He did. All the same, he … didn't strike me as very intelligent. Otherwise, he would have seen through me. He wasn't even able to tell that I was a wizard, which seemed … strange, because of the fact he is related to Harry."
This went over big with those in the observers' box; Harry's grin got even wider. When even Draco could see how stupid Dudley was, yet recruited him anyway, that didn't give his side much hope for either freedom or leniency from the Wizengamot.
"What did you decide to do?"
"We … decided to go after Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend. I told Dudley about her and … promised him he could have her if he would help me."
"Why did he agree to help you?"
"He … dislikes Harry as much as I do. Besides, he had been … unable to get a girl up to this point."
"Did neither of you consider what might happen if Harry discovered what you were doing?"
"I … figured I could handle him," Draco returned. "Besides, I made sure that he and his friends would be busy elsewhere, so they could not interfere until it was too late."
"How did you manage to abduct her?"
"I Apparated with Dudley to the Hogwarts grounds, waited for Ginny to show up, then rendered her unconscious with a nonverbal spell, conjured up some ropes to tie her up with and took her to my family home."
This was the point that Lucius got a look of pure horror on his face. "Stop this! Stop this travesty immediately! Can't you see how difficult this is is for him?"
It was also the point at which that Harry was unable to remain silent any longer at this insufferable hypocrisy. He jumped to his feet and called out, "Difficult for him? What the bloody hell do you think I've been through because of it? What Ginny and her family has been through? Because of your money, you've always been able to escape punishment. Well, this time no amount of money or influence-peddling is going to get Draco off!
"Neither of you know the meaning of suffering, and as far as I'm concerned, deserve every bit of hardship coming to you! In fact, I wouldn't put it past you to have been responsible for framing Sirius Black and making him spend twelve years in prison for crimes he never committed! Neither would it surprise me if you and your Death Eater cronies killed those people!
"Draco is at least getting a trial, which is more than I can say for my godfather! And if you think it's difficult seeing Draco made to tell the truth about his crimes, I'd like to openly challenge you to take Veritaserum and tell us about a few of yours, particularly the ones you committed as a Death Eater!"
Hermione and Ron both pulled hard on Harry's sleeves in an attempt to make him sit down, but Harry didn't seem to feel it. "Harry, stop it! Stop it right now! This isn't going to help!" Hermione hissed softly.
It was Ginny who finally made him stop. "Please, luv, this isn't going to help us. Sit down now!" Harry did, albeit reluctantly, but was still angry, still wanting to shout accusations, but content to sit silently now that he had been able to say what he wanted to say. Now all that was necessary was wait to see the repercussions of his statements, particularly his challenge that Lucius take Veritaserum and be made to tell the truth about his own crimes, much less those of his son.
But Lucius had been waiting for just such a moment to lash out and did so. "Silence, you smart-mouthed half-blood brat! I should have known you were behind this! You have no right to even still be alive! Your blood-traitor father and filthy Muggle mother deserved everything they got, just as your blood-traitor godfather did! And if you say one more word against us with those unworthy lips, I swear in Merlin's name that I'll kill you!"
This time it was the lawyer trying to calm Lucius down, but he would not be calmed. Not until the head of the Wizengamot put his wand to his throat and shouted out, "Order! Order in the court now!" did things quiet down. Only then did he turn to the observers' box and quietly but sternly admonish Harry. "Young Mr. Potter, kindly remain silent during these proceedings, or else I will be forced to have you removed."
Fortunately Harry wasn't the only one lectured. "And Mr. Malfoy, you will kindly control your temper, or else I will have you removed as well and allow your son to face his trial alone. I allowed your presence because it is a parent's right to stand with their child in a situation like this, but no amount of money gives you the right to abuse or threaten another person in a court of law, particularly not one with a legitimate grievance against a member of your family. Draco, you may continue."
Lucius gave the head of the Wizengamot a killing glance but did not argue, remaining quiet but silently seething the whole time Draco was giving testimony.
"I … then took her and Dudley to my personal wing at my home and …" Draco could no longer continue.
"Is something wrong?"
"I … cannot continue, sir," came the soft reply. "Not unless my father is allowed to remain. He will … remain silent if I ask him to." Draco gave his father the first pleading look Harry had ever seen from him, and Lucius visibly, albeit reluctantly, pulled himself together.
That prompted Draco to continue his first-hand account. "I … used her first, then allowed Dudley to do so. It was during the latter situation that Harry showed up, bent on revenge. I had been unaware that we had been observed abducting her, but surmised it was the only way Harry could have learned what had happened."
"Can you really blame him for wanting revenge after what you and his … cousin, I believe … did?"
"No … I cannot blame him," Draco was forced to admit. "Shortly afterward, his friends Ron, Ginny's brother, and Hermione Granger showed up and demanded that I … return Ginny to them immediately."
"And did you?"
"I did, sir … after making sure that Dudley had finished. Then after they left, I took him back home."
"Is that all that happened?"
"Yes, sir."
There was a silence, not to mention tension, so thick after that it could almost literally be cut; finally the head of the Wizengamot said softly and with great regret, "After that confession, young Mr. Malfoy, I have little choice but to … assume your guilt in this matter and sentence you to life in Azkaban for not only the kidnap and rape of Miss Ginevra Weasley, but the assaults of all the other young women in question. Have you anything further to say?"
"No, sir."
"Then I officially declare this trial ended. You will be returned to the holding cell until we can contact Azkaban and obtain official transportation for you. Take him away." The older wizard gestured to two older official-looking men and they released Draco from the chained chair, only to take him back to the holding cell to await transport to Azkaban, which would likely be his home for the rest of his natural life.
Lucius followed him out silently, and that was the last the others in the observers' box ever saw of them. "Well, you did it, Harry," Ron observed. "Draco's had it. Now if you can just do the same with Dudley …"
"Oh, I will," Harry returned softly but ominously. "I assure you, I will. No one hurts people I love and gets away with it. Voldemort didn't, Bellatrix didn't, Draco didn't … and Dudley won't, either." Ginny stepped up to Harry and he opened his arms; she stepped into them and they lovingly enfolded her. "One down, one to go, luv. Best of all, I got some revenge for Sirius as well as you in the process, even if I wasn't able to see Lucius forced to take Veritaserum. It was worth missing that just to see Draco taken away."
Fred and George clapped Harry on the back, congratulating him, even wanting to hoist him onto their shoulders again, but he vetoed that until they got back to the Burrow … then they could do whatever they wanted in the privacy of home. The Wizengamot officially adjourned the trial and everyone departed, the large group once again Apparating out and back to the Burrow for a private celebration. It wouldn't be completely over until Harry saw Dudley led away to his own imprisonment, but for the moment, it was enough to know that Draco would receive his just punishment—and that his, Harry's, own efforts had brought it about.
