The Eighth Year Universe

Love Wins

I'll Plead My Innocence

The chapter title is from the song:

Outlaws – Greenday.


Purgatory

Harry was pretty sure he was dead. But he didn't know how much time had passed. The world was in black and white, which was odd. He had expected Heaven to have colour.

Then again, there was no reason for this to be Heaven. It wasn't like Harry had lived a perfect life, after all. He had tried, but there had been a lot of bad mixed into the good. Yes, he had killed Voldemort; he had caught a lot of bad guys. But he was a killer, and he had been an alcoholic.

Maybe this was what he was destined for, an empty train station, Kings Cross, to be precise. He felt like he had been wandering around for days, but the clock on the wall didn't change. He didn't feel hungry or tired. Time passed most peculiarly.

Not for the first time, he wondered what he was waiting for.

Then she appeared.

Harry looked up in alarm, surprised to see someone else on the platform. At first glance, he would have said she was black and white, like the world he was trapped in. After all, she was dressed from head to foot in black, her skin was so pale it was almost white, and her hair was jet black. But then there were her eyes; they were the sharpest blue he had ever seen.

"Mr Potter. Your trial will begin now."

"My – what?"

The black and white world around them melted away, and Harry had to blink because it made him feel dizzy and sick. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes to see colour again. That threw him, and it took him a minute to get his bearings.

He vaguely recognised the room he was in, and then he remembered why. It was a courtroom, and not just any courtroom either. But the one where his trial had been at the start of his fifth year. With a start, Harry realised that his arms and feet were clamped to the chair; he was completely trapped.

Yeah, this wasn't Heaven; it was definitely Hell.


The Department of Mysteries

The Ministry of Magic

London

"Are you three sure about this?"

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Sadie, if you ask me that again, I'm gonna punch you."

Sadie sighed and pressed her hand against the door. There was a buzz, then she had to let the door scan her retina, and finally, she had to place her wand into it.

There was another buzz, then the door flashed green, granting them access into the Death Chamber.

"Tight security," Daphne noted.

Sadie gave her a disbelieving look. "Funnily enough, when a 15-year-old and his friends break into one of the most dangerous rooms in the Department of Mysteries, people tighten their security protocols."

"Sorry about that," Neville said sheepishly.

The door clicked shut behind them, and Sadie resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

The shift in the air when they stepped into this room was noticeable. Neville tensed a little, probably because he remembered what had happened the last time he was here. But Daphne and Lilly shuddered like an icy chill had shot through their bodies.

Sadie didn't flinch though. She just stepped up onto a stone platform with an archway standing atop it.

"What is this place?" Daphne asked. She drew her cloak closer to her body and looked at the high sides of the room.

"Are those seats?" Lilly asked with a frown, "Or steps?"

"Seats," Sadie answered, "This place used to be used for all sorts of dark rituals and executions too."

Neville frowned, "What kind of dark rituals?"

"Anything involved Necromancy," Sadie replied, "There are lots of ways to bring the dead back, but none of them are ethical, and none of them are real."

Lilly shuddered, "This place makes me feel horrible."

"I just feel cold," Daphne admitted, "How are you so immune, Sadie?"

Sadie looked over at them, "Because this was what I specialised in – some people specialise in love, time or space, but I specialised in death."

Daphne looked at her old friend for a long moment. Then she spoke to her more softly than she had done for a long time, "I understand why you don't want this life anymore, then."

Sadie's eyes darkened, but she nodded.

"To activate the veil, even piggybacking on a celestial event, you will need to combine your magic," Sadie explained.

"All three of you are going to have to cast the activation spell at the veil in unison."

The three of them nodded.

"Do you remember the incantation?" Sadie asked.

Again, the trio nodded.

"Then, go ahead," Sadie said. She stepped down off the stone platform, and the other three stepped up and pointed their wands at the veil.

"On three?" Daphne asked.

Neville and Lilly nodded.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

"Aperta ianua spiritus regni."

The tattered old curtain that hung over the veil was swept to the side by an invisible gust of wind. Then the empty space behind it disappeared and was replaced by a swirling blue and white wormhole.

"Cut your hand and place it against the stone archway before you step through," Sadie called up to them, "Otherwise, it will just spit you back out devoid of your magic."

Lilly made a face, "What happens when we get through?"

Sadie replied, "When you go through, you will be transported to your own purgatory. But the messenger of Death should seek you out and take you to Harry's trial."

"How do we get back?" Daphne called over the swirling wind.

"Once your business is done, the messenger will send you back," Sadie assured them, "Just prepare yourself before you go through. It will feel painfully cold, which makes you suck in a breath, so when you come out on the other side, you'll think you can't breathe for a moment."

Daphne looked at Sadie again, catching her eye. She nodded, and a look was exchanged between the two women that Neville and Lilly didn't understand.

"Okay," Daphne said. She looked over at the other two, "Let's go."


Purgatory

Harry was beginning to panic as the courtroom filled up with people he knew. That would have been a comfort in some cases, but not in this one.

Every single person here was dead.

On one side of the courtroom, there were several Death Eaters who Harry knew had died in the final battle. When Harry looked to the other side, his breath caught in his throat when he saw them.

His parents, looking perfectly healthy, sat in the front room. Lily's red hair was tied back into a bun; identical to his eyes, her eyes were anxious. Her hand was in James', his hair was a mess, his dark eyes watching Harry warily.

Next to them were Sirius and Remus. Sirius looked just like he had when he died, his shirt half-open, tattoos all on display. His hair was long and curly, his eyes full of sadness as he looked upon Harry.

Sirius's hand was in Remus's. The werewolf was tapping his fingers against his leg with his other hand. His mousy brown hair was flecked with grey, and his eyes kept flitting from Sirius to the witch on his other side – Tonks. Just like the others, she looked like she had when she died. Her hair was brightly coloured, her usually carefree smile was gone though, replaced with tight lips, and like the others, she looked worried.

That, combined with the fact they were all here, was all very bad, obviously.

"What are you doing here?" Harry managed to choke out.

James was the first to reply. He smiled at Harry, "We're here to help, son."

"But…you're all dead," Harry said quietly, "Which means that I must be too."

"Not yet," Lily said softly.

Sirius nodded fervently, "Not yet, kid."

"Members of the jury. Please refrain from conversing with the accused!"

Harry looked up at the judge. He didn't know who he was, but the man wore black robes and sat upright with an air of importance about him. He looked in his 40's, with slicked-back dark hair and a tight mouth reminiscent of McGonagall's.

"Who are you?" Harry, ever the bigmouth, asked.

The man smiled unnaturally like smiling wasn't something he really knew how to do.

"I am Death, and this Harry James Potter, is your trial," He said, bringing down a hammer.

The courtroom door slammed shut, making Harry jump. The doors sealed magically, and silence fell across the room.

"What trial?" Harry asked.

"Your Life Trial, Mr Potter," Death said. He looked down at Harry from his spot high above, "To determine if you will remain here in the land of the lost. Or if you can return to your worldly life."

"The land of the lost?" Harry asked, looking around, "Not…not Heaven, then?"

"There is no Heaven," Death said calmly, "Only here, where the souls of witches and wizards reside long after their earthly bodies have perished."

Harry swallowed. He'd always envisioned his parents and Sirius and Remus living a perfect life in Heaven, watching down on him and his family. It had been stupid, obviously. Why had he believed in God, anyway? It wasn't like even Aunt Petunia held such traditional beliefs.

With a shake of his head, Harry pulled himself out of these thoughts.

"You will be judged by the seven," Death continued, "All of whom are dead because of you."

"Objection, your honour."

Harry spun around to see Dumbledore, who appeared to be his defence. The old man smiled and bowed his head at Harry, blue eyes sparkling like they always had done.

"It is not a fair trial if he is only to be judged by those whose death's he has caused," Dumbledore continued.

"Unfortunately, Mr Dumbledore, no other witnesses have made their presence clear."

Death slammed his hammer down.

"First witness, please."

Harry felt sick when Cedric Diggory stepped up onto the podium, pale and with cold eyes. He looked straight at Harry, and his heart sank.

If this was a sign of how the trial would continue, he very much doubted that it would go in his favour.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

When Daphne opened her eyes, she was gasping for air. Sucking in a breath, she looked around.

Everything was in black and white, but she could still place her surroundings. She was standing in the snow with bare feet, wearing only a thin white dress, but she didn't feel cold.

Daphne looked up at the mountains ahead of her and frowned.

"Lilly?"

"Neville?"

Her voice echoed around, and Daphne briefly panicked that it had gone wrong. That Neville and Lilly hadn't stabbed their hearts and made it here.

Then she remembered what Sadie had said about purgatory being different for everybody. Daphne didn't often think about dying. She had always preferred to live in the moment. But when she had thought about it, she had hoped that Death would be like the French Alps, quiet, crystal clear and full of beauty.

She looked around, unsure where to go now.

Then a woman dressed in black with piercing blue eyes stepped out of the trees and fixed Daphne with an intense stare.

"Are you here to testify in the case against Harry James Potter?"

Daphne swallowed her fear and nodded.

"Yes, I am."


When Lilly opened her eyes, her head was foggy. Then she managed to get a breath of oxygen into her lungs, and suddenly, the world around her became a little clearer.

She looked around at the black and white backdrop. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but then she realised.

Lilly had been christened as Catholic, even though her mother had barely ever taken her to church. It was just the done thing in the part of London she grew up in. Her grandmother was a devout Catholic, so they had to pretend to be.

Linda Slater had been many things, but a follower of religion was not one of them. She'd been forced to go to Sunday school as a kid (which obviously hadn't done her any favours since she fell pregnant with Lilly in her teenage years). But some of the things she'd learned there had stuck with her.

Growing up, Lilly could remember her mum's threat of;

"You hang that washin' out right now, Lillian, or you're gonna end up in the forest of lost souls!"

It was what her mother had told her purgatory was, and Lilly never thought she had believed it. But now, here she was, in a dark forest with the unsettling feeling that there were eyes in every bush or tree, just silently watching her.

Lilly jumped when a rustle sounded behind her. She spun around and backed away as a woman stepped out of the trees, wearing a long black, hooded cloak.

She fixed Lilly with ice-cold blue eyes.

"Thoth," Lilly realised.

The woman bowed her head and asked.

"Are you here to testify in the case against Harry James Potter?"

"Yes."


Neville took a shuddering breath and blinked open his eyes slowly, glancing around to try and get an idea of where on earth he was.

He was in a field full of green grass, with colourful flowers sprouting everywhere. The sun was shining in the sky, and the birds were twittering away happily.

Across the landscape, manors were dotted around. There was a swing set in the distance that a little blonde girl was playing on while an oddly familiar-looking man with blond hair pulled back into a ponytail pushed her.

"Higher, Papa!" She cried.

"Not too high, Areya," He returned.

"You made it."

Neville turned around and swallowed when he saw his grandmother standing before him. She was wearing different clothes, but she looked much the same as she had when she died. Her face was weathered but lighter somehow.

"Gran," He breathed.

"But you ought not to be here," Another voice said, a younger one.

Neville's heart could have jumped out of his chest. A woman walked forward with her hand in a man's. She had dark blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, and her hazel eyes were full of warmth and kindness. The man looked just like Neville, with mousy brown hair and a crooked smile.

Like they had been in the hospital, they were old, with lines upon their faces and grey flecked through their hair. But they looked healthier too, their faces fuller, their eyes so full of life.

"Mum," Neville breathed, "Dad."

Frank bowed his head, "Hey, son."

"How am I…." Neville trailed off, "What…is this?"

"It is the land of eternal summer," Augusta said softly.

"Like the stories," Neville realised, "The ones you told me as a kid? Eternal summer, no pain…only happiness?"

Augusta nodded, "It is real, and it is where witches and wizards go when they pass on."

"All of them?" Neville asked warily, "Even the…bad ones?"

"Those who have repented for their sins," Augusta said evasively, "There is somewhere worse for those who haven't."

Neville swallowed and looked around, "Where….where are Harry's parents? And Remus and Sirius? Are they all here?"

"They are," Alice promised her son, "But they are rather busy right now, at Harry's trial."

"Trial?" Neville echoed.

"Those who have lived a…conflicted life," Alice compromised, "Must stand to trial before they can be allowed access into this place. Not all of us are quite so pure."

Neville frowned, "Then…Daphne and Lilly?"

"They will come here when their time comes," Augusta said simply, "But not until they accept death the way that you have."

Neville frowned, "I have so many questions - "

"And we cannot answer any more of them, I am afraid," Augusta said. She took a step back as a woman clad all in black walked towards Neville.

He backed away, "But…will I see you again?"

"Of course you will, sweetheart," Alice said softly, "When your time comes."

The black-clad figure reached Neville and asked.

"Are you here to testify in the case against Harry James Potter?"

With one final, desperate look towards his parents and his grandmother, Neville nodded.

"Yes."


Harry was losing the trial.

He had pretty much decided that when he saw Cedric, but then it had gotten worse.

"Do you think if you had been more firm, that Cedric Diggory would be alive today?" Death, the judge, asked.

And Harry couldn't lie. He felt compelled to say what was on his mind, to say the things he had shoved down and tried not to say or think about.

"I shouldn't have let him take the cup," Harry said, looking down because he couldn't stand to look at Cedric, "I should have just grabbed it myself."

"So you acknowledge your guilt over Cedric Diggory's death?"

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a door opened at the back of the courtroom.

The woman, dressed in black with piercing blue eyes, stepped in and whispered to the judge. Death's facial expression did not shift at all, but when the woman stepped back, Death bowed his head.

"Very well. It seems that three witnesses have appealed in the case to save Harry James Potter."

Harry looked up sharply at that.

"Allow the witnesses access," Death said.

A side door opened, and Harry stared in disbelief and horror when Daphne, Lilly and Neville were led into the courtroom.

They obviously couldn't say anything to Harry, but his eyes met Daphne's, and he felt like he looked into them for years.

"Mr Potter," Death said, drawing them back to the point, "Do you admit you feel guilt over the death of Cedric Diggory?"

"Objection, your honour."

Harry's voice constricted in his throat. That was Daphne's voice, and it sounded like the sweetest thing he had ever heard, like music to his ears.

"Sustained," Death said, motioning to her.

Daphne got to her feet and held her head high, "Harry Potter has no reason to feel any guilt over the death of Cedric Diggory. He and Harry came to the decision together, the decision that they would both grab the Triwizard Cup and claim victory for Hogwarts. It was not only a noble decision but a loyal one, made between two friends who cared about each other. Neither had any reason to suspect that the cup was a portkey and therefore Harry Potter is not at fault."

Death nodded thoughtfully and looked at Cedric.

"Mr Diggory?"

"He let me die in that graveyard."

Harry swallowed, another wave of nausea hitting him.

"I didn't… I wanted to do something to save you, but I couldn't."

Daphne raised her hand, and Death nodded, "Carry on."

"No man can intercept the killing curse at such short range, let alone a boy in his fourth year of Hogwarts. It is worth remembering that Mr Diggory was of age and, therefore, legally an adult. Should a child really be blamed for his death when he himself could do nothing?" Daphne asked calmly.

With a shake of her head, she finished, "From the moment they arrived in that graveyard, Cedric Diggory was doomed to death. Regardless of anything Harry Potter may have been able to do."

Death nodded and looked at Harry, "Do you admit your guilt over Cedric Diggory's death?"

Harry thought about that for a long moment, really thought about it and the answer was clear. He hated that Cedric had died. He still had nightmares about it sometimes; it made him feel sick to think about it. But remorse and guilt were not the same thing.

"No."

Death brought the hammer down, "Calling forth the next witnesses."

Harry took a breath to steady himself, then he looked at the people who had just been brought up to the stand. They were familiar, painfully so.

"Tracey Davis and Dean Thomas," Death said, motioning to them, "Dead because of you."

Harry looked over at Daphne and saw a pained look in her eyes. Her jaw was set, her mouth in a tight line. Did she blame him for their deaths? She was probably within her rights to…

"How do you plead?" Death asked.

"I…" Harry began, "I…should have been more vigilant that year. I was happy. I got complacent."

Tracey and Dean didn't say anything, but they looked more like themselves than Cedric. Their eyes weren't dark or cold.

"Objection, your honour."

This time it was Lilly's voice.

Death looked fed up, but he motioned for Lilly to stand, "Sustained."

Lilly got to her feet and said, "Harry Potter is not at fault for the deaths of Dean or Tracey. It was not his job to make sure that the ministry was cleansed of Death Eaters and those who sympathised with them. It was the Minister for Magic's job to do that, and if anything, Tracey and Dean's deaths only highlighted what a poor job he did in his first year of office. It was not up to Harry to keep other students safe or to expect innocent people to be kidnapped on a Hogsmeade weekend within metres of a school."

Death nodded and looked to the witnesses, "Any further statements?"

Tracey shook her head, but Dean said.

"He's the boy who lived. Why couldn't he have knocked them out before they killed us?"

Another wave of guilt hit Harry. It was a fair point. Why hadn't he been fast enough?

"I was…I was in a duel at the time."

"So it wasn't that you just forgot about the third person?" Dean asked.

"I…I don't know."

Lilly raised her hand, and Death motioned to her with a roll of his eyes.

"This was a situation for the Aurors, not a Bounty Hunter and some school children. Had the Aurors been called, I doubt anyone would have died that day. However, the ministry at the time could not be trusted, and the DMLE, in particular, was still incredibly corrupt. Nobody could have expected an 18-year-old boy with PTSD from the war to be as on the ball as a highly trained Auror."

Death looked over to Harry, "How do you plead?"

Lilly was right. It hadn't been his fight. It never should have been. Kingsley's ministry had been a disaster for the first year. The DMLE didn't really improve until he, Neville, Draco and Theo joined it as Trainee Aurors.

There was nothing he could have done, not without a time-turner.

"Not guilty."

Death bowed his head and brought the hammer down.

"I call forward our final witness."

If Harry was in the real world, not a place where he couldn't eat or drink and therefore couldn't throw up, he would have when he saw the final witness.

"Former Head Auror Jack Sumner," Death said with a wave of his hand, "Dead, because of you."

Harry stared at him for a moment, "No…he…he died in the line of duty."

"I died fighting alone," Jack said, "Nobody had my back and isn't the Auror code – if they stand behind you, give them protection?"

Harry's eyes burned, "I…yes…it is."

"So why did you not give me protection?" Jack asked.

Harry floundered. He didn't know how to reply.

"Objection, your honour."

With a sigh, Death flicked his wrist in Neville's direction, "Sustained," he said irritably.

Neville got to his feet and looked at Harry briefly, then he shifted his gaze up to Death and Sumner.

"Jack Sumner was partnered with Robert Wolfe for that job. When Rob was attacked by a werewolf, we were a man down. But Jack stayed with John Sheppard and Draco Malfoy. They were the ones responsible for having his back, not Harry. He was locked in an intensive duel at the time. In fact, those three Aurors came to the aid of Harry and me because we were two against two, and we were struggling."

Sumner said nothing, so Neville took a breath and continued.

"If anyone is at fault for Jack Sumner's death, it would be me. He tried to stop a bench from crushing me into the wall when Lucia hit him with the killing curse. But I don't feel at fault for that because I know that Jack Sumner was a great Auror, and he would always have defended those he felt needed it."

"You were distracted," Jack said, looking at Harry, "You had seen Neville get injured."

"I was distracted," Harry admitted.

"Then you admit your guilt?" Death asked.

"Objection, your honour," Neville said again.

"Yes?" Death replied irritably.

Neville got to his feet again, "It would not have mattered that Harry was distracted. Lucia was already aiming her wand at Jack to stop him from preventing my death. Nothing Harry could have done would have shielded the killing curse, and he wasn't close enough to push Jack out of the way.

Harry frowned for a moment, letting that run through his head.

"Mr Potter. How do you plead?"

He couldn't have saved Jack. It was like Lilly always said, 'you can't save everyone all of the time'. And it was like Daphne said, 'sometimes people die, and it sucks but it's life'. And it was like Neville always said, 'death is a part of life, Harry. I don't think we can truly live until we accept that'.

They were all right, the man he considered as a brother. The woman he had loved before he even really knew what love was and the little pocket rocket who had managed to worm her way into his heart somehow.

"Mr Potter?"

"I plead not guilty," Harry said.

Death hit the hammer down, "Then the verdict is clear. Mr Potter feels no guilt over the deaths of the witnesses. Therefore, he is innocent."

Sirius whooped, and some people cheered. James and Lilly just sighed in relief, their faces lighting up.

"What?" Harry asked, frowning up at Death.

"You were not being tried for your sins, Mr Potter. But on your own guilt."

Harry tried to work out what that meant. But before he could, the chair clicked, and his arms and legs were free. He got to his feet a little shakily, and people began to move towards him.

"You have been so brave, Harry," Lily said, kissing him on the cheek. Her lips weren't cold like he had expected.

"And I'm glad you're heading back to the land of the living," James added, "Because it isn't your time."

Sirius nodded and grabbed Harry's shoulder, "You've got a hell of a lot left to live for."

"You've got our son's wedding to plan, for a start," Tonks said, punching Harry in the shoulder gently, "Don't let him wear that ratty old Weird Sisters tank underneath his tux, Harry, please."

"And tell him to quit thinking that amazing girl doesn't love him," Remus added.

Harry smiled sadly, "You're not…mad?"

"Mad?" Remus echoed, "Mad that you raised him, that you gave him all the love in the world?"

"You have been the most accepting, wonderful parents," Tonks said, looking over Harry's shoulder at Daphne, "How could we be mad? We're so happy. You didn't even influence out of becoming a Hufflepuff!"

Harry laughed weakly, "I think he was always going to go there, Tonks. He's got so much of you about him, but he's kind like you, Remus. Loyal, like you."

"Can't decide between his boyfriend and his girlfriend, like you, Remus," Sirius said, nudging the werewolf in the ribs.

Tonks snorted, "Welcome to the land of eternal summer, where you can have it all."

"So this is Heaven, then?" Harry asked.

Lily shook her head, and Harry found he couldn't look away from her eyes because they were so like his own.

"No, it's a place where the souls of witches and wizards go when they die," She said softly, "But this isn't a good example of what it looks like. Out there, it's sunshine, green grass, flowing rivers. It's beautiful."

"And it's what we make it," James added, smiling at his son.

"We live in Potter Manor, all of us," He motioned to Remus, Sirius and Tonks.

"And we have windows into your life," Lily said softly, "Mirrors mostly, you see your reflection in them, but we see your world reflected in ours."

Harry nodded tearfully.

"We are so proud of you, Harry," Lily said tearfully, "Proud of the life you have built for yourself."

Daphne reached over and took Harry's hand. He let out a shaky breath and looked around.

"How…"

"It's a long story," Daphne said softly, "We'll explain when we're back in the real world."

"Before you go, could we talk?"

Daphne's face paled when she heard that voice, but she turned around and came face to face with Tracey.

"Yeah," Daphne whispered.

Tracey took her hand and led her away from the crowd around Harry. She smiled at her and cupped her cheek, "You look good."

"You look dead," Daphne joked weakly.

"Funny," Tracey said, a slight smile coming to her lips, "You replaced me."

She nudged her head in Lilly's direction.

"With someone shorter and less hot."

"Oh, she's so much hotter," Daphne said, the joke laced with sadness.

Tracey laughed and grinned, "Yeah, she really is."

Daphne laughed weakly, "I miss you."

"I know," Tracey said softly, "But you will see me again when your time comes. I'll be eternally young and beautiful, and you're going to be…oh fuck it, you'll still be beautiful at 100. Screw you and your veela blood."

Daphne reached across to hug her, and Tracey smiled against her shoulder, "You're still in love with me, right?"

"Oh, don't be so bigheaded," Daphne joked.

Tracey chuckled but didn't pull back.

"This can't be real," Daphne murmured.

"It's real," Tracey promised, pulling back to kiss her cheek, "And we're all going to be waiting here for you when it is time for you to shuffle off this mortal coil."

Daphne took a step back, and the world around them began to fade.

"What's happening?"

"You're going home," Tracey said softly.

"Already?" Daphne asked. She reached out for Tracey's hand, but Tracey took a step back.

"Bon Voyage," Tracey said as darkness started to claim Daphne.

The last thing she said before darkness took over was;

"Au Revoir."

- TBC -