The testimony of one Harry James Potter
War had made him weary.
His dreams heavy with despair.
Each night they waited for him across the river, calling to him.
'Welcome brother'.
He was tired, bone tired.
But he had a score to settle.
A debt to pay.
The dead would have to wait.
"I have known Hermione Jean Granger since I was 11 years old when I met her for the first time on the train to Hogwarts during my first year"
Harry James Potter remembered the day he met Hermione Granger for the first time. He had been overwhelmed with change. Introduced to a wondrous world he could only have imagined in his most vivid of dreams. He had been overwhelmed by magic, witches and spells. Tales of a school that would take him away from the abuse of a family that never wanted him. For once he felt connected to the dead parents he had never known.
But everything came with a price.
What started as a wondrous dream became his living nightmare.
His new wondrous life came hand in hand with a burden, a burden only he could ever know.
A burden he could only carry.
And he did.
He had carried that burden from birth.
From the remains of Godric Hallow.
Right into the lap of one Hermione Granger.
He hadn't known what a burden friendship would bring. How could he have? He was an 11 year old boy with no family and no friends. He craved acceptance, affection and most of all love.
He hadn't know what a burden knowing him would bring.
He didn't know what a burden loving him would bring.
It was too much to ask of him to have known.
Harry would like to believe that he was selfless enough to have known to walk away that day on the train 11 years ago if he had known.
But he hadn't known.
And there were no do-overs in this story.
"Mr Potter, I understand that you volunteered to come and speak on behalf of Miss Granger today?" Amos Diggery asked peering closer at Harry.
Harry cringed internally.
That's all people did nowadays.
Looked at him. Stared at him.
They wanted everything he had and everything he was. Wanted to know what he ate, what he felt and how he breathed.
Truth was that most days he couldn't breathe.
What kind of hero couldn't breathe?
He considered Amos Diggeries question thoughtfully.
He had come on his own volition today against the wishes of everyone he knew.
They didn't understand why he wanted to do this.
They were wrong though. He didn't want to do anything.
Want and need were two different things.
She had saved his life. Time and time again. Against his better judgement she had fought for him. Bled for him and almost died for him. There was a time where she would have done anything in order to see him through to the other end.
Anything.
Ron didn't understand. His pain too great. Too raw to see anything beyond betrayal.
Ginny too angry too hurt, too everything.
But Harry, Harry who had only ever experienced loss was just that, just Harry.
She had seen him through to the end.
A life for a life.
"I come asking for clemency on behalf of Hermione Granger"
What followed his confession could only be described as chaos.
The court room full of spectators erupted in outcries and rage.
"How could you!"
"She's a traitor!"
"Let her rot!"
Harry closed his eyes counting backwards in his head. 10… 9… 8…
"She doesn't deserve pity! 7….6….5….4…
He waited.
"I SAID SILENCE!" Kingsley voice cut through the room like knife.
Harry opened his eyes only to realise that Kingsley had been trying to get control of the room. He stood clear in the crowd with his wand in his hand.
Harry had long since honed his ability to look beyond the chaos.
He turned to look at Hermione for the first time.
The eye of the storm.
"I have never in my years ever been ashamed like I am now of witches and wizards of today! You will honour the dignity of this court and what it represents or I will find you in contempt- do you all understand?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt was a man of few words.
But a man honour he was.
Harry looked around- they had understood.
Amos Diggery looked as deflated as a balloon left behind days after a birthday party. Forgotten and limp. This wasn't what he had been expecting. He turned to his colleagues communicating silently on what move to make before turning to reluctantly face the boy who lived.
"Am I to understand that you wish this court to show mercy to Miss Granger?" he asked incredulously.
Harry nodded silently in affirmative.
"Mr Potter, I have to ask the question that is on the mind of every witch and wizard in this room. Why?"
Finally a question he could answer.
The why he had been expecting.
But were they?
"Because she saved my life Amos. She saved my life more times than I can count. Because she doesn't deserve to fade away in Azkaban"
Harry turned to look at her.
Raising his invisible glass in a toast.
"And because she has to live with the decision she made for the rest of her life. I think that is punishment enough."
To lost friendships and betrayals.
Hermione sensing the direction of his thoughts, smiled.
Cheers.
Amos Diggery was at a loss for words. Stunned into silence he looked around the court room only to find mirrored faces of shock.
Everyone but him.
A life for a life.
"Tell me what you want Potter. Anything. Gold? My vault is yours. The secrets in and out of the manor? I will draw you a fucking map. You want my blood? Take it. It's yours."
Harry had seen the madness in his eyes that night.
The fear.
As he had seen it all too many times reflected in his own.
Blood was limitless. What good would his blood be when there were too many ready to die by the sword for the boy who lived.
Gold? What did Gold mean to a boy who grew up only knowing nothingness.
"Tell me, are you willing to do whatever it takes?" he had asked out of curiosity.
Would he be the one to break the tide?
"Anything".
"What punishment would you see us give Mr Potter?" Kingsley's question had startled him out of his trip down memory lane.
Harry paused.
He had refused to partake in the post-war politics for good reason that had followed the bloody battle of Hogwarts. Power was a dangerous thing. He had seen it corrupt the strongest of wizards.
Harry had been through his young life constantly in the spotlight.
Power was something he wasn't interested in.
Harry wanted to be forgotten. To shrink away to one corner of the earth and live out the remainder of his life the same way it had started. Alone.
But he had a score to settle.
"Hogwarts re-opens in a month to all those who wish to return to finish their final year. I ask that she too returns"
Amos scoffed loudly speaking on behalf of the outraged crowds
"You see that as punishment?" he asked outraged at his suggestion.
Yes he did.
Perhaps the cruellest of punishment.
He watched with fascination as the blood slowly left Hermione as the reality of what he was suggesting began to sink in.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"She wants to go to Azkaban. She wants to slink away and be forgotten. To hide from the reality of what she did, to me, to all of us. I ask that you send her to the one place that won't allow her that luxury. I ask that she be forced to come face to face every day with the children of the families that she betrayed. The children who lost fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers"
Harry turned to look at Hermione speaking to her directly.
It was true, he owed her everything.
A debt owed.
A life for a life.
But what she had failed to realise was that he had given his away a long time ago.
It wasn't his life that was forfeit- that ship had sailed.
It was hers.
"Consider it paid" he whispered.
One day he would join them across the river.
Where they waited for him.
Welcome brother.
