Chapter 9
Daphne
Daphne didn't wind up returning for an entire day. She was absolutely exhausted. Answering all the questions that had indeed come up about her betrothal was only the start. There ended up being 7 guests at the tea party. Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini had each expressed sympathy for her plight, though Zabini's certainly struck Daphne more as covering up his own disappointment that the one woman their age he had ever stated had a shot at being worthy of him was now taken.
Daphne was honestly starting to see room for upside in the Potter arrangement when she considered what life as the wife of either Draco Malfoy or Blaise Zabini would be. Potter may hold no love for her, but at least Daphne was fairly confident he was capable of acknowledging the validity of people other than himself.
The reactions from Parkinson, Bulstrode, Theo's cousin Isabel Nott, and Tracey's cousin Aisling were far more focussed on taking a journey from abject horror(or mocking on the parts of Bulstrode and Parkinson) to excitedly planning Daphne's Hen night, and finally landing on debating intricate details and practicalities of a ceremony Daphne still barely could comprehend as being real.
Daphne was already mentally composing letters to sort out how to politely inform Bulstrode and Parkinson they would not be welcome at either her Hen night or Wedding. Daphne knew Tracey had always gotten on with the two, but unlike Tracey's vulgarity, the boorishness of the other two was simply far too mean spirited for Daphne's taste. Their histories of antagonism towards her fiancé only made matters worse. The conversation had gone so long that all had agreed to remain at the Selwyn's for the night to allow Tracey the next day to give her own news. Daphne had made sure to catch the few hours of sleep she was able to catch far away from Tracey's room. Daphne wasn't certain she would survive the embarrassment of having to remember the afternoon. She also did admit that having privacy of her own to release pent up excitement was helpful.
Unfortunately Daphne suspected sleeping on the cushions from the gazebo had left herewith very little actual rest. Her dreams being filled with images of Tracey's naked body transforming her face into Potters certainly did not help Daphne feel particularly well rested as the group of young adults reconvened in the morning the next day.
Breakfast was certainly a fine affair, even if Daphne still struggled to meet Tracey's eye all throughout. Tracey proved what a superb storyteller she was, taking the whole meal to build up the information her cousin had found out. The fact that the group stopped frequently to further rib Daphne at any opportunity certainly didn't speed up the telling any. Nearly an entire day after Tracey's originally scheduled tea party, she had told the whole group, and they were all excitedly drawing up agreements and strategizing which Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley businesses they expected to do the best, both short term and long. Since she had promised Tracey, Daphne largely kept out of this conversation, keeping her exhaustion and skepticism to herself.
Daphne was far more pleased by getting to have something to share with her father. She had managed to get Zabini on his own, and in exchange for Daphne promising a future favor as Potter's wife, Zabini would be owling Lord Greengrass about partnering on certain Knockturn Alley businesses in need of financial assistance and flowing capital in these uncertain times. He had agreed to Tracey's plans to invest in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley businesses as well. Daphne wished her friend luck of course, but she was still a Greengrass, and getting ahead was what Greengrasses did. Daphne was quite sure that her friend was looking at the wrong targets. The ministry and Weasley twins would be bad enough as competition for those businesses, but simple celebratory spending was sure to see many of the businesses in those districts boom quite soon, leaving little need for Tracey's group of young investors.
Knockturn Alley however was very likely to see a dramatic, but likely not permanent, decrease in consumer spending. With very little interest from most liquid investors. The gains were likely to be less dramatic, but far better over the long term. Her father had long taught her that it was precisely these types of using friends, knowledge, and resources with a long term framework was how the Greengrass family had always prospered. It was a perfect opportunity to keep gold and influence flowing to and through the Greengrass name in ways that didn't expose them to the sorts of scrutiny that the party had spent a serious amount of time discussing the Malfoy family were enduring right now. Nott actually received an owl during lunch that informed them Potter and the minister himself were interrogating the Malfoys as they spoke.
That had been the only moment Daphne had truly felt the spotlight of attention leave her. Everyone was fascinated in how the families who had sided with the regime were doing, especially the Notts not discussing either of their fathers plans or whereabouts around Daphne. Zabini had pretended at offense on her behalf, allowing her the opportunity for the private discussion. Daphne of course was relieved, if anything, to be excluded. She had come to the party to talk with Tracey and see where influence was likely to flow in the future, but she did not particularly care for spending so much time in the company of most who were present. Daphne was unable to politely extract herself, and spent many hours that afternoon trying her hardest to stay out of conversations without seeming like she was doing precisely that.
Daphne had finally returned several hours after supper, and was entirely determined to sleep until noon and finally find some rest and relaxation in this early summer. Such social gatherings had always left Daphne feeling drained by trying to please all involved without ever over committing herself or her family. This week however was proving to be even worse with the so far absolute lack of any relief or break for days now. Daphne was very certain her sanity absolutely required a good, long rest followed by a day of relaxation. Hopefully with dreams free from the image of Tracey's breasts or those slender fingers….
Naturally, Daphne wasn't even surprised when she was awoken just as early as she had been the previous morning. Mimmy awoke Daphne, apparently on her father's instruction, and Daphne was told she was needed once again at the ministry today, and to make sure she was her most presentable.
So it was that 45 minutes later Daphne was having a quick breakfast of porridge, fruit, and juice, looking, frankly, stunning with a few potions and minor glamour spells, in form fitting green and silver formal robes, with an even deeper neckline than what she had worn the previous day. It was an ensemble designed by some of the very best in magical fashion to entice and ensnare male wizards, without sacrificing class.
Her father entered and addressed her with the short, crisp tones Daphne knew he usually reserved for business discussions.
"Well done yesterday. The Zabini boy moves quickly. I received his owl late last night. We should be moving and invested by the end of the afternoon. I am proud of you for the initiative you showed. I know you have done much this last few days already, but I need you to continue to press forward. I was alerted early this morning that the Wizengamot has been summoned for what I'm certain shall be the first of many trials and reform sessions. Potter will certainly be there, and I need you to take the opportunity to sit with him rather than with me and get insight into his and the Minister's thought process."
Dahne wanted to scream at her father. How had she never noticed how obvious he was when he was manipulating her. She had felt the pride swell in her until she thought she might burst, only to deflate so fast she may well have burst after all. She had to question whether her father was even honest in his praise with how rapidly he had moved on to making further demands of her. She was an adult. She graduated. Yet still her father treated her as though she only existed when useful to him. Only existed to be useful to him. Daphne had done everything for her father, and still he only had more to demand of her.
Daphne wanted to scream, but she was still a rational person first. She knew immediately that venting her anger would not stop her accompanying her father to the trial, would not stop her doing her best to get closer to Potter, would not change how the rest of her day was going to go. It would only be a shouting match with her father, accomplishing nothing.
But the curtain had dropped. Even as she presented a passive face and followed her father to the fireplace, Daphne was at last fully realizing the depth of her father's manipulations and lies, not of others, but of her. He had her convinced he had been right in their argument, but Daphne realized now he had been lucky, not right. Some of that luck had even come at her expense. For all his talk, Lord Greengrass had folded by the sound of it at the first opportunity to the demands of the Death Eaters. Daphne got even more furious when she realized the likelihood that her father had given in so easily because he had seen the potential for advantage to himself in forcing his daughters into early marriages.
After all, the odds of one of the two Greengrass girls marrying a family that would bring value to Lord Greengrass, while also agreeing to allow one child to inherit the Greengrass name, without either girl dying to the curse before such a child's birth. Especially with how loudly resistant to the idea of marriage and birth Astoria had been recently. All her father's lectures on short term denial for long term gain suddenly looked like only Daphne and Astoria's needs and desires should be denied for her father's gain.
As she thought on this, stewing silently in her growing rage at the selfish hypocrisy of the man she had admired for her entire life, Daphne decided she had only one avenue left to her. She would talk with Potter. Oh yes, but not to further the interests of her Father, but to honestly serif the contract could be broken, and if not, she'd be dedicated to growing herself at her father's expense within the marriage. If the curse did manifest in her, she wanted now to use everything he had taught her, every avenue available to her, or her fiancé Potter, to destroy her Father. To end his, and those like him's ability to control their children like this ever again. Her father would live to regret teaching her so much of how the wizarding legal system worked by the time death claimed her. She would play the part, but no longer was she going to be her father's pawn.
"Hurry along now Daphne, and do try to clear that scowl from your face. You're not as adept at hiding your emotions as you ought to be." Daphne determinedly didn't skip a step as she breathed deeply and made a determined effort to return a face to a neutral expression, and prepared to force a pleasant one when she was inevitably once again in Potter's overwhelming presence. Her father hadn't even looked directly at her. Of course Potter was certain to look directly at her. She wasn't even sure which she'd prefer at this point.
"Yes, Father," Was all she said.
Ten minutes later, they were once again in the Ministry of magic. Daphne was impressed by all the progress Shaklebolt was making, at least superficially. There was no rubble to be seen, nor any obvious trace of the previous regime's year of changes. Personnel certainly seemed to still be suffering, but Daphne couldn't deny at least the appearance of normalcy was returning. She decided to say as much to her father.
"Shacklebolt certainly doesn't want to be Fudge. One must admire the efficiency he is showing at least in outward appearances of cleaning up the Ministry. On the nose perhaps for symbolism, but admirable nonetheless I think." Her father didn't turn around as she spoke, but he did reply.
"And today we shall see how far the substance goes to match the aesthetics of reform he has mastered. The summons implied the day shall hold a full agenda beyond the initial trial. This is why I need you close to Potter when he takes the Black seat." As he said this, they were nearing the Wizengamot chambers, and certainly enough, there was Potter himself milling around with the minister. Daphne quickly decided to speak up before her father inevitably antagonized Potter again.
"Hullo, Pot- I mean- Harry. How are you this morning?" Daphne put a slight smile on her face, but didn't make eye contact. She hoped she wasn't overplaying her hand, but with Potter's abysmal reputation on handling romance, and her father putting Potter off previously, she was fairly confident.
"Oh, yeah, hey Green-Daphne. Suppose well have to get used to using surnames, huh? I'm alright I suppose, just ready to get this trial over and get back to work, you know? Uh, how are you?" sure enough, rather than drilling into her soul, he was refusing to make eye contact as well, and blushing a tad as well.
" I'm quite well actually, thank you so much for asking. But I don't understand, won't you be remaining for the rest of the session?"
"Why would I do that? After I present the evidence in the Trial, I'm done, and Kings-The Minister said the trial is the first agenda item."
Could he possibly not know? Before Daphne could determine if Potter was entirely unaware of his rights as a Black, her Father had to predictably interject his unwelcome presence.
"Mister Potter. Interim Minister Shacklebolt. The posted agenda was rather unfortunately vague. But I can commit now of course to supporting removing that Interim, and I will back whatever my future son-in-law recommends at the Malfoy trial obviously. I only wish you had let me know more ahead of time. My family is tied to Potter's now. Your interests have become mine. I could help more if you told me your preferences for the day. Maybe even pressure a few of the not under suspicion and arrested members if I know what to favor…"
Her father was in full charm mode, but Daphne thought he may have leaned to quickly into old habits. Both the Minister's and Potter's faces betrayed only increasing derision as her father seemed entirely unaware he was digging himself a deeper and deeper hole with every smarmy word.
" I of course appreciate the support," the Minister replied, his deep baritone full of enough sarcasm that Daphne wondered if he would actually prefer her father vote against confirming him as minister. "But I am serious about the reforms we need. And that begins and ends with no more preferential treatments. My own blood will find out the details when I present them, and all may debate them freely in session. So why don't you take your seat if you are so anxious to get started, Lord Greengrass."
The Minister left very little room for argument, so her father simply gave each a brief nod, and turned sharply on his heel to ascend to the hereditary seat that had been his since his own Father had retired decades ago. When Daphne didn't follow him, Potter and Shacklebolt stared at her with confused expressions.
"Won't you be attending with your father, Miss Greengrass?" the Minister asked.
"Actually," Daphne found she didn't even have to fake the hesitation and embarrassment in her voice. Her father was useful after all. "Since we must wed so soon, I thought it might be appropriate to attend with Harry in the Black seat, so I can begin supporting him properly, and I was hoping for an opportunity to perhaps have a discussion with my fiancé without my father hovering."
That clearly took Potter aback. "What Black seat? Kingsley, what's she talking about?"
Daphne was beginning to think the Minister was the very personification of the word unflappable. He responded as if asked the time of day. "Well a seat on the Wizengamot is part of your Black inheritance. The family has a hereditary seat, which should be yours. I assumed you knew and had chosen not to take it, much as Sirius did before his arrest. If you want to take it though I can induct you right now."
"Uh, yeah I guess. I can guess why Sirius wouldn't want it, but if I can help fix things, sure I'll do it. What do we have to do though? Aren't we supposed to start now?"
Daphne jumped in, wanting to make sure her betrothed knew she would support his rights in this matter.
"The Seat is already yours by right of inheritance, though the Minister, as acting Chief Warlock can confirm it officially simply by saying so in the chamber before at least 2 other members, so if you take the seat, all he needs to do is announce it when he gavels in the session."
"Uhm, do I have to sit somewhere specific, or just anywhere?" Daphne was absolutely triumphant that she was holding a pleasant, uninterrupted conversation with her betrothed. Even if she was still confused by how he could possibly not be aware of such basic information.
"Oh yes, you absolutely have a designated seat. The Blacks were among the very first back when Merlin formed the Wizengamot. You have one of the 13 founder seats, at the very top. I could show you if you would like." Daphne hoped she had shown her respect for the importance of his seat, without being too pompous. She wasn't certain she fully succeeded, but the minister only looked in a hurry, and Potter just motioned for her to lead the way. Which she promptly did.
It took her only a moment to get Potter to the appropriate seat, when she realized he was missing something important.
"Harry, you technically should be wearing official robes, if it's alright with you, I am quite accomplished at summoning and alteration charms, I could have you properly outfitted in just a moment. But only if you wish, of course."
"Yeah, sure, I don't want to look out of place I suppose. Thanks Daphne. Actually, you seem to know a lot about this stuff, if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate if you help me not make an absolute prat of myself. As long as I'm going to do this, I want to not muck it up too bad."
Daphne was very pleased, this was perfect, she could help Potter, and maybe even get a few whispered words her father wouldn't be able to overhear.
"Absolutely Harry, I'll be honored to help you, though I imagine you can't be half the prat many of these stuffy old timers typically are. I'll sort you right up."
Two quick spells later, and Potter was looking at least as spiffy as her own father, though Daphne had to admit he looked much better in the fitted formal plum colored robes than she even expected. With one more quick flick of her wand, Daphne allowed herself to indulge ever so slightly. Glittering thin golden letters appeared saying, "H.J.P.B." satisfied with her work, she gave Harry a nod. He examined himself and seemed to approve, raising an eyebrow only at the monogram.
"What's the 'B' for?" he asked.
"Black of course. Since you are sitting in the Black seat, your proper title would now be Harry James Potter-Black. Once you finish the lordship ceremony it would be Lord Harry James Potter-Black if you wished."
"Lordship ceremony? What's that?" he sounded quite curious indeed now.
"Oh, it's slightly different for each of the old seats, but there hold be a family ritual the Blacks hold that once you perform, you will have the full rights and owers as head of house Black. Unfortunately most families don't tell what the process is, so only a black is likely to be able to tell you."
"If I was the Lord, could I cancel the contract?" Harry seemed very interested in this possibility.
"It's a possibility. My father already signing, as well as both of us meeting the requirements already to fulfill the contract may still prevent the dissolution unfortunately. If you'd like, after the Wizengamot I could try to help you find out how to become Lord Black in full. It can't hurt to try at any rate." Her father would be pissed of course if Harry obtained full Lordship rights, all the better in Daphne's opinion.
The Minister stood at the position of acting chief Warlock, and raised his wand high. "Oh, looks like we are beginning. Just do as the Minister says at first, and I can help you if you have any other questions, I promise." Harry nodded in acknowledgment of her offer. Then the Minister spoke, his rich voice carrying clearly throughout the room.
"Thank you all for arriving on such short notice to this extraordinary meeting of the Wizengamot. I know we are all busy, so I will try to keep this as swift as possible. That said it has been over a year since the last properly held meeting, and there is much outstanding business, in addition to my own proposed agenda for restoring our nation after the most recent war."
"I also wish to now formally recognize Harry James Potter, recognized heir to house Black. Please stand Harry." Harry did so. "By law, magic, and deed, I recognize the right of Harry to the ancestral seat of house Black, let any who would speak opposition to his rights do so now." No one did. " Then by acclimation, the Seat is recognized. Please return to your seat, Auror Potter-Black." Harry sat back down, and Daphne beamed at him.
What she hadn't told him of course was that by being in the seat next to him with the betrothal contract tucked into her purse, she too had just been formally recognized, and could now use his family's seat in his absence should he miss any future meetings.
"Now that that is completed," Shacklebolt continued, "the first agenda item is the seat of Chief Warlock. Per ancient law, I have held the position as my predecessor did in my role as Minister of Magic, but this noble post has been absent far too long. We deserve not some temporary head of this great and noble body, but a true Chief Warlock. As I anticipate my own duties as Minister will be too much for me to perform satisfactorily, I instead look to old tradition and nominate our most senior member, from a noble family of great distinction. I nominate Madame Augusta Longbottom as chief Warlock."
The named witch stood, and simply said, voice full of steel, "I accept, if only long enough to right this ship from the travesty of the last several years."
Daphne prodded Harry and whispered to him, "you should stand, announce yourself formally, and second the nomination."
Harry did just that. "Uh, I, Harry Potter, using my Black seat, second the nomination. Madame Longbottom is probably exactly the tough but god hearted person for the job." Harry glanced nervously back at Daphne, who motioned for him to hold up his wand, which he did. Harry quickly sat back down.
Shacklebolt spoke again, "Then the vote will be held. All in favor will raise and light their wands now." it was universal. As one, 50 wands rose and lit. a mere moment later, Shacklebolt continued. "By unanimous consent, Madame Longbottom is recognized as the new Chief Warlock of the British Wizengamot I now hand chairship over to her, retaining my family's hereditary seat."
Madame Longbottom stood and began giving a speech. Daphne didn't pay much attention, instead whispering again to Harry about how unique this actually was.
"I don't think there has been a unanimous vote for a Chief Warlock in the history of the body. Especially not one nominated by a different acting chief. Willingly giving up the power is unheard of. We haven't even had a chief since Dumbledore died because no one could muster a majority."
Harry whispered back, "Well, unprecedented is my typical Thursday morning, so that follows I suppose."
"Now," it seemed Madame Longbottom was moving on from her acceptance speech, "with your support for me as Chief Witch, I propose we immediately move to formalize Kingsley Shacklebolt as our Minister of Magic, with full Authority to form and run a government in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's name."
An elderly Witch stood up, and Madame Longbottom recognized her.
"The Chair recognizes And formally restores to this noble body, Griselda Marchbanks."
The old woman nodded, and called out, "You all know my reasons for leaving this great body, but it is with Pride I have not felt in years that I second the nomination for Minister of Magic."
She sat back down, and Madame Longbottom called for any other nominations. After a moment of silence, the vote was called, and again passed unanimously. Daphne was beginning to grow suspicious. Even after the fall of the Dark Lord the first time, there had been three contenders for Minister who had battled for years before Fudge got the job in a close vote. Daphne knew the Malfoy's were having their trial today, and that many other pureblood families were under heavy suspicion and distrust. The cleverness of Shacklebolt surprised Daphne, it honestly seemed far more Slytherin than Gryffindor to her. She really was living on the knife's edge of defending her family's pureblood legacy.
There was fifteen minutes of busywork, which Daphne helped Harry understand. Several more members had returned, and there were many empty seats. Daphne actually helped Harry file his own pre-trial paperwork, and was rewarded when her father proposed offering the Zabini family a 3 year term seat to fill one of the vacancies, and Harry agreed to vote in favor at her request, when she suggested he request seats for the Weasley family and Lovegoods in exchange. So that was that debt paid, yet without overly costing her what little capital she had with Harry.
And then The Malfoys were finally brought in. Even with the short term emergency appointments, the current Wizengamot was still several seats shy of the traditional fifty-five voting members for a full hearing. But every presently held seat was represented, either by a member or officially recognized designated proxy, so the Auditorium was still quite intimidatingly full from the view of the three chairs the family sat in.
As they sat, Harry mumbled, barely audibly, "Figures they of all people would be spared the stupid chains." Daphne wasn't entirely certain what Harry meant by that, but she did have to admit the family sat in the chairs with enough imperiousness as to almost give the chairs the appearance of being thrones. They must have extreme confidence in whatever deal they had struck with the Minister, as well as confidence that the same deal would be accepted unaltered by the Wizengamot.
The Chief Witch then began the trial proper. " The Chair declares the trial of Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy is begun. It is my understanding that you have agreed to stand trial as a family, and not face judgment separately? Is this correct?"
All three made affirmative responses. The Chair continued.
"Charges Brought by The Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, following his investigation headed by Auror Harry Potter. Charges include dozens of counts of bribery, multiple uses of unforgivable curses, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, escape from prison after a lawful sentence, harboring and giving material aid to criminals, including but not limited to the dark lord Tom Riddle, also known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named among other names, as well as numerous lower crimes enacted as active members and supporters of said criminals' core supporters, known as Death Eaters."
"Wizengamot members, as well as the Accused, are being distributed the full list of crimes, as well as other documents provided by Auror Potter and Minister Shacklebolt. The court will allow 5 minutes for all to read these charges."
Five minutes later, Daphne was shocked at the sheer scope of the crimes the family was accused of. Conviction on a tenth of these charges would be grounds for lifetime Azkaban sentences at minimum, potentially even a dementor's kiss. In totality, there was a high chance that this list of charges was the longest, most severe since Grindlewald himself. How were the Malfoys all so calm, were they hexed?
When no Wizengamot member raised questions, the Chair addressed the family. "These are extremely serious charges, some of the most severe in this body's history. How do you plead?"
The family just looked at the Minister.
He stood and said, "I will now present the Chair with the signed confession of the Malfoy Family, witnessed and signed by myself and Auror Potter. Copies will be distributed to Wizengamot Members. After time for questions about the confession, I plan to call Auror Potter as a witness."
The confession was fairly short. The family acknowledged their guilt on all charges, but asked for clemency in light of services rendered to defeat the Dark Lord prior to his fall, as well as services to the Ministry in apprehending and dismantling the entirety of their former organisation. Daphne could see several members itching to ask questions about the services aspect of the question, but Daphne had to tip her metaphorical hat to Kingsley yet again for his brilliance in fronting the testimony of Harry. No one wanted to delay hearing what he had to say.
And so Harry was Called, and gave his testimony.
"Lucius Malfoy is a pompous, bigoted, monster of a failed excuse for a man. He poisoned his son, and worse, our entire society because of his disgusting bigotry. He has personally attacked me multiple times, and only ever saw the faults in his abhorrent ideology when he began to personally suffer for them. All that said, he did see the faults. I do believe this, I have seen what a different man he now is, and the importance of his family's love to that change. I am not so naïve as to think he is now without fault, but is he redeemable, potentially able to exist peaceably in the future? Yes. Will his assistance now save lives, I believe also yes. So I don't think he should go unpunished, far, far from it, but life imprisonment or death? Personally I'm opposed, unless he tries this crap a third time of course. Then he'd best believe I'll be there to stop him just as I did his former boss."
"On Draco's Crimes, this is easier for me. He is also an absolute git. Even as recently as the last battle he was actively trying to hand me over to Riddle, even immediately after I had saved his life. But more than half his crimes were under obvious duress, even if he was too thick headed to realize it at the time, and the latter ones were under direct threat to not only himself, but his family. He's a sack of weasel shit, but I do believe there is hope for him, though, again, if he wants to prove me wrong, I'll be happy to throw his greasy rear straight into Azkaban."
"Finally, Narcissa doesn't bear the Mark. She is just a bigot who fell in love with a bigot and raised a bigot. But when it mattered most, her love for her son saved my life, and the lives of uncountable others. She had the opportunity to reveal his absolute failure to Riddle, and even if he couldn't have killed me at the time, any of his followers, herself included, could have in that moment. The hope we all have for our future, owes itself entirely to her love for her family. It is that love I hope to turn to for all of them. I know many disagree, but a great man, Albus Dumbledore, taught me the greatest power in the world is love. I have done what I have because I choose to believe in that. I hope you all will as well."
There was a thunder of Applause from the Wizengamot. Daphne noticed her father and three others were much slower to begin applauding, but applaud they did. There were plenty of questions about the details of Harry's testimony. People wanted to know about his every personal interaction with the whole family. And when they were done questioning him, several then questioned the Malfoys on their perspective of those same interactions.
The three did nothing to challenge Harry's description of them, Daphne felt. Including the parts she had struggled not to laugh at how indignant they had been at his dressing down. They were pompous, arrogant, but they did seem contrite, if nothing else, about how they had been treated by the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters. Daphne wasn't certain of course, but if their testimony and other promised assistance indeed made a meaningful impact in capturing escaped death eaters, she suspected they just might avoid lifetime sentences.
The biggest change was undeniable though. With the severity of the crimes they had confessed to, chains had magically wrapped themselves around the family. Who looked far less superior, even if their words didn't change much to anyone versed in listening between the lines.
Nearly an hour of questioning later, the Minister gave his suggested sentence.
"On the strength of the mitigating factors, Auror Potter's character testimony, the conditional promise of absolute cooperation, bearing in mind the severity of the crimes, and the frequency with which Lucius Malfoy has admitted to using his wealth specifically for illegal and harmful ends, I and Auror Potter are recommending that Lucius Malfoy be placed under lifelong house arrest with no chance of parole. That Draco Malfoy be sent to Azkaban prison for 2 months, followed by a house arrest to last no less than 5 years, no more than 7 depending on judgement of the state of his reform upon regular review by the Ministry every 6 months beginning in the third year. That Narcissa Malfoy be placed on probation for that same period under the same conditions. Furthermore, that the Malfoy vaults and assets be opened to a full Ministry audit, to be followed immediately upon conclusion of said audit with the levy of a fine equivalent to 85 percent of the total assessed value of the Malfoy family's wealth."
That last point certainly set off the Auditorium. A fine that substantial was unheard of, and certainly was unlikely to be viewed especially favorably by the likes of her father. The debate raged for nearly another hour. Daphne imagined Lucius was grateful that, as Chief Witch, Madame Longbottom wouldn't get to vote in favor of giving him to the dementors, no matter how passionately she argued in favor of it. Few others seemed to be quite that passionate for that result. After ten failed amended votes on a sentence for the family, one finally passed on a slim margin. Lucius' lifetime home arrest was left intact, but Draco wasn't to be sent to Azkaban for any length of time. The suggested sentence for Narcissa was unchanged and unchallenged during the debate. All those had been agreed upon after the first 3 votes. It was the matter of the scale of the fine that had finally been resolved when Daphne's father finally got the Wizengamot to agree to take 85 percent of the family's Gringotts holdings, but not include the other assets, besides requiring the family to sell all homes besides Malfoy manor within 2 years in order to prevent those under house arrest using multiple properties to travel via floo network.
The vote was close, but the trial finally came to an end. And Daphne was floored by the precedent they had just set. That her father had just set. The scale of the potential transfer of wealth away from so many pureblood families, sacred 28 families even, was simply astounding. Daphne knew that Potter had said unprecedented was his Thursday meeting, but this was simply absurd. The meeting still had nearly a half dozen major agenda items and it was time for the lunch break. Just the results of this morning should be enough business for months, if not years, of Wizengamot meetings. Daphne was really growing tired of feeling as though her feet were entirely dettached from the ground. She really wanted Potter's life to either stop being insane or let go of her. And she hoped it happened soon, before she could no longer recognize either herself, or her country.