Chapter Eighty: The Trial
"Harry, are you decent?" His mother questioned him before gently rapping her knuckles against the door frame.
"Yes, you can come in." He replied while finishing up straightening his tie and he turned his head to see her entering his bedroom carrying Draco's Bible in her hand.
"Draco wanted me to give you this. He didn't tell me why he just said that there was something special about it." She told him before handing it over to him.
"Thank you." He told her as she left the room while he took it and opened it up and an envelope fell onto the ground. Harry set the Bible down on top of his nightstand while he bent down to pick it up and then stood up and tore it open and pulled out a folded-up letter and unfolded it inside the palm of his hand and read it silently to himself.
Dear Harry,
I only somewhat told the truth when I told your mum that there was something special about this Bible for there are in fact two things. First of all, this Bible is mine. I finally decided to become a Christian. After all, after everything that I've been through to find a family like yours and a girlfriend like Hermione who loves me and accepts me has to have been the work of a divine intervention. I just decided to let you borrow it because you need help getting your spirits raised.
Second of all, if you look deeper inside the envelope I left you you'll see that I left you something. I hope that you'll feel like a stronger person when you wear it and think of me and the rest of your family and friends. You mean more to them than you'll ever know and you're one of the best things that ever happened to me. It symbolizes the fact that you beat Voldemort before, and I know that you have the power of goodness inside you to defeat him in the end. I honestly don't believe there's anything that you can't accomplish, and I love you just as much as I would if we were blood brothers. Thank you for never giving up on me and I promise that I'll never give up on you.
Love, your brother Draco
Ps. You can give the Bible back to me when we see each other again at Platform nine and three quarters since I already know that you won't be expelled.
Harry was currently doing everything in his power to fight back his tears as he reached further inside the envelope and took out a silver chain that had a tiny lightning bolt pendant at the end of it. That's when suddenly his father entered the room.
"Are you ready to go?" He wondered as Harry turned to him his eyes full of tears and held up his pendant.
"Draco,.. he,.. he's a believer now because of us." He began. "He gave me this and reminded me that I'm strong. But how can I be strong when I know that he's hurting inside and there's nothing I can do about it!?" He sobbed before his father tightly embraced him.
"Yes there is. By being there for him and being his friend, you have already done so much for him Harry." He whispered while resting his chin on the top of his head.
"But he needs to have a family that loves him." Harry sobbed while looking up at him as his father looked down at him and rubbed away his tears with his thumb.
"And he does. Even if he's not always with them he does and he always will just like you said. And so do you. I've loved you even before you had your last name legally changed and I love,.. Hermione just as much as if she was one of my own. Blood doesn't haven't anything to do with it." He told him as Harry smiled and sniffed.
"Did you just call Hermione by her first name?" He inquired as he smiled back at him.
"Yes. I believe I did." He replied before taking Harry's chain necklace from him and tying it around his neck after he had stood up straight. "There. Now let's go." He told him.
….
Harry's nerves were starting to get to him as he sat in the chair and faced the judge. There had been some back and forth arguing going on from the jury and his defenders. Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Harry started to sweat as the judge was about to go to the jury to see whether or not he should be convicted or cleared of all charges. Quite a few hands shot up into the air when he asked them whether or not he should be convicted, but luckily for him more hands believed that he should be cleared of all charges.
Harry grinned and sighed a huge sigh of relief. He was free and that meant that he could also continue to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He couldn't wait to write to his friends and to tell them that all of their prayers had been answered and it was all over. At least, his trial was. However, unfortunately his other troubles were just beginning.
…
Still wearing the lightning bolt necklace that Draco had given him, as soon as he saw Draco, Ron, and Hermione again he flung his arms around all three of them and embraced them tightly. "Oh I'm so glad that everything worked out." Hermione told him after they broke their embrace and an excited grin stretched across his face.
"So am I." Draco began with a grin. "But for the record, I knew that it would all along." He finished with a wink.
"Stop showing off." Harry teased playfully with a roll of his eyes as his father chuckled and grabbed his camera.
"Alright now all four of you get in there together and smile." He told them as Hermione smiled and leaned her head on top of Draco's shoulder and he leaned his against hers while at the same time wrapping an arm around her and placing the other one on top of Harry's shoulder. "Now say Hogwarts." Severus instructed.
"Hogwarts!" They exclaimed loudly and excitedly with humongous grins stretching across their faces before bursting into fits of laughter while Severus finally snapped the picture.
