Chapter Ten:
Innocent
The bathroom was full of steam when it came time for them to get out. Their fingers were pruned and wrinkled from being in the water as long as they were. Hermione had gotten out first, gently wrapping a towel around her slim body, and then Harry had stepped out. Hermione handed him a towel, and when he was covered, she stepped into his arms and leaned against his chest. He was a shocked a bit at first, but then he just laid his hands against the back of her waist.
"I love you." She said as a tear fell down her cheek.
"Now, now," He cooed, "Everything will be alright. I promise." He said. "Please don't cry."
"I don't want you to leave." She cried. "I want us to live happily ever after, and possibly skip this year. Let's run away and get married Harry! We can have kids and live in peace and quiet!" She begged. "Let's just disappear."
"Hermione," He sighed. "You know better than I that we can't do that. You know that I'll be back in a few years, but please, write me everyday?" He wondered.
"Twice a day." She said proudly.
"Hermione, you're studies are more important then where I am or what I'm doing." He insisted.
"You cannot possibly say that!" She battled back.
"Hermione, I want you to walk into that school and forget about me at that moment. I want you to get your studies done, and leave Hogwarts and make a living. When I get out I expect you to be one of the top Aurors, or a healer, or something worth while. Just please don't ruin your future because I am going away."
"Harry, I…" She stopped.
A kiss had been laid on her lips, but she could not resist the urge to kiss him back. She wanted to tell him that his theory had nothing to do with her intentions, but she didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to walk away knowing that this could possibly be the last time they would be together. She sighed.
"You have to leave in fifteen minutes." She said groggily.
"Lets get the obliviating done, and then we can have one last cozy time." He said with a smirk.
"Sounds good to me." She smiled in return.
Still with towels around them, they entwined their fingers and Harry led the way out the door. He grabbed his wand off the table outside the door, and proceeded to walk to the sleeping Ron in the left room corner. He was quite pail looking, but he seemed to be alright, for he was sleeping. Harry pointed his wand directly at him.
"Wait!" She said.
"What Hermione?" He whispered so Ron would not wake up.
"What if you screw up the spell and he doesn't remember anything from his past?" She asked, gripping his arm.
"You must not be able to trust me much if you just asked me a question like that." Harry said, rather offended.
"No, I'm sorry," She piped. "Just get it over with."
She pressed her eyes into his arm as she sensed him raise his other arm, pointing his wand directly at Ron. She could hear him clearly and powerfully speak the spell with regret and she felt vibrations through his arm that stretched across his body. She picked her eyes out from his arm and sighed. She hugged him closely with short breaths hitting him. He turned his head to her.
"You're next." He said. "You must trust me Hermione," He paused. "I would never do anything to hurt you… I love you." He whispered.
"I trust you, Harry," She sighed. "It's your power that I don't."
She stepped in front of him, and nervously she shut her eyes. She thought about everything she wanted to forget thinking that if she thought about it, than those would be the only things that left her mind. Even a mere thought brought pain to her chest with an ever gentle pound of the heart. It was like she relived it all over again, but still, she knew this would be the last time she would even know it existed.
The last thing she heard was the words, and then a sweep of bright light came over her, and she felt her mind swirl into a vortex of white and green. She felt a piece of her mind leave her, and then with a blurry vision in her eyes, she opened them. She came face to face with a man that kneeled before her. She wheezed a bit and tried to sit up, catching her breath recently.
"What happened Harry?" She asked. He needed to think of something quick.
"I… purposed to you, and you fainted." He mumbled, knowing grandly that that was an innocent lie.
"I'm sorry," She said quickly.
"Well, you fainted after I asked if you wanted to get married after I get freed." He said.
"Freed!" She exclaimed. "You're trial! You were supposed to meet Molly ten minutes ago!" She said, in a worried fashion.
"Merlin…" He mumbled.
He shuffled around his room, still in a towel, at a quick speed, and searching for warm and comfortable clothes to wear. Hermione, still wrapped in her towel, sat on the bed as her long strings of wet hair covered her face. A tear fell down her eye, and when Harry was fully dressed in jeans, a back tee-shirt, and his 'trainers' shoes, he saw her and noticed her tears. He sat beside her, feeling her pain.
"I'll be back, Hermione." He said, but she couldn't even look at her. "It's not forever."
"It feels like it Harry, we both know it's going to go by so slow that it causes both of us even more pain." She said. "I love you, and I don't want to loose you."
"But eventually it'll end, and it won't be the end of the world." He insisted. "I'll write you everyday, and it won't even matter where either of us is." He said. "I love you too Hermione."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and with his opposite hand he pulled her chin to face his fully. He smirked with a light smile, as he could see the pain and sadness squirm with a silver thread through her honeysuckle eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her lips ever so softly, and ever so peacefully. When they broke apart after a brief second she immediately hugged him.
"Don't forget me, Harry," She said. "I love you; promise you'll love me… no matter what happens?" She asked.
"I promise." He said. "Promise me you'll never forget the countless hours we spent together… please?" He asked her.
"Never." She said. "They bring smiles to me face, knowing that the famous Harry Potter is not only a stud, but good in bed." She said with a hint of flirt.
"Shut up." He said as he kissed her cheek playfully.
"Alright, enough jokes." She sighed. "Time to get ready," She said. "Molly will mount our heads to the wall if we're late."
"Eww… why would she want our heads?" He said, disgusted with the subject.
"That was sarcasm Harry… sarcasm."
After a few long talks about what was going to happen when all this was over, they both agreed to keep a picture with them at all times and to find a way to communicate besides owls. Everyone knew that that prison guards would hijack the mail and read them so they didn't tell about anything violent and such.
Ron had woken up when Hermione and Harry started a make-out session in the middle of the room. Before things got too serious, he had snuck out with a sneer on his face, knowing something neither of the other two knew. He just walked out, planning something in the depth of his twisted mind.
"ARE YOU READY YET?" Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs as her shrilled voice echoed through the stairway of the Burrow. "WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"
"Coming!" Hermione yelled back, as she kissed Harry one last time after their session of never ending ones. "Are you ready?" She asked.
"Hold on," He said. "Tell Molly I'll be down in a minute…" He said, trailing off and with a sigh.
"What do I look like… an owl?" She snipped in the teasing manner.
"If you're an owl, then that's going to be hard telling people about having sex with an owl and not being crazy." He said. "Well, it was a sexy owl…"
"I hate you." She said as he hit his arm with a smile.
"Not as much as I hate you!" He retorted back, with a large grin.
"What a great conversation to separate us." Hermione said.
"I…"
"YOU BETTER HURRY UP! WE HAVE TEN MINUTES TO GET THERE, AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A MIRACLE!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "IF YOU AREN'T DOWN HERE IN THREE MINUTES THEN I'M COMING UP THERE AND DRAGGING YOU BY YOUR EARS!"
"We aren't Fred and George Mrs. Weasley," Hermione called down after she stepped out of the room and bent over the railing around the stairs. "We understand we're running late, but this is a good reason to be running late! This is the last chance we get to see Harry!"
"I know it's hard, but there's going to be hell to pay from the ministry if we are too late." Mrs. Weasley explained. "Those people are very senile about time."
"Ok… Harry said he'd…" She stopped.
"I said I'd come right away, and here I am." He scurried down the hall and the stairs; he was tailing Hermione by an inch or two.
"Alright, in the car… now." Mrs. Weasley said, in a tersely way.
It took them about ten minutes with Molly's horrific speed to reach the Ministry, and to go into the depths of it. They ran down the hall, breathless, with Hermione holding Harry's hand tightly. They reached the doors and Molly turned to face him, giving him directions.
"Alright." She said. "You are to walk in and sit in the chair. Like the previous year, this one will be a bit different, considering we have a new Minister."
"I'll be right outside, Harry," Hermione said as she kissed him. "Good luck." She kissed him once more before he pushed open the doors and entered the room, disappearing into the blue.
The room was quite bigger than what Harry had imagined. He walked forward, feeling the eyes of twenty or so people resting on him, and he recognized not a single one of them because they were all new to the ministry. Harry sat in the tatty leather chair in the middle of the room, and stared at plump man in the white wig in the large desk in front of him. Aside his left hand laid the gavel, and aside his right side stood his guard.
"State your name." He said in a bored manner.
"Harry Potter," He replied with a shiver of nervousness.
"Ah, yes, Harry Potter." He said. "First off, do you understand your charges that made you come here today?"
"Sir?" He asked, in a reply of misunderstanding him.
"Do you know why you were charged?" He asked, more powerfully, and making Harry feel rather stupid.
"Murder, but I don't know why it counts as murder." He said. "About Voldemort." Harry added, surprised he didn't hear a whisper or a shudder, though no one was afraid of the name now that he was dead.
"You did kill Tom Riddle, didn't you?" He asked.
"Yes, but my entire life I was told it was my duty to!" He fought back.
"You were told?"
"By countless people!" Harry whined as the judge surveyed him.
"Why would they tell you to commit a crime?" He asked.
"He was a damn evil man who killed anyone in his path. He killed my parents, my godfather, and he killed my happiness as a baby. I had a right to, but they told me to because I was the only one that was known to be strong enough to fight him, and win against him." Harry said.
"Overrule!" The judge shouted. "You are saying that you killed him for revenge on your parents?"
"No I…"
"Was he not even a human to you?" He glared.
"He w.."
"Did you feel like killing him all your life that you knew about him?"
"I…"
"Admit it!" The judge cursed.
"FINE! I wanted to kill him to make my fears and pain to stop, but the prophecy then came into my life, telling me it was my duty. You can not say it's not true, because that prophecy used to lie here within the building!" Harry warned.
"Interesting point Mr. Potter.." the judge said, trialing off. "You are aware that I am allowed to send you to Azkaban for no less then three years?" He asked.
"Yes, but I wasn't sure of how long. I'll say that I'm prepared, for I should have never obeyed what you and the rest of the wizarding world have brought me into." Harry said, crossing his arms.
"Are you saying that we made you the killer?" A girl at the right of the judge asked.
She had long hair of a dark violet color that would shimmer. She reminded Harry of Tonks and that she used to dye her hair wacky colors for fun, but mostly for disguise. Harry looked at her; her pug nose drew up to her face like it was pinned. He sighed, trying to make her understand the truth.
"No, what I'm saying it even the past Ministers have urged me into this position, so it's not on peer pressure, but it's political too. I was told that the ministry's policy was to keep everyone safe from harm, but apparently I'm not allowed to do that." Harry growled.
"Did you know that insulting and mocking a court is a felony?" The judge asked quicker than ever.
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why this is such a big deal!" Harry said, getting annoyed with all the conversations going on through-out the room.
"The current minister, who for some reason wants to be nameless, tells me to send you to prison for eleven years, though it's not his decision." The minister stated. "You do understand that it's his decision to give you a trial, but mine for your sentence?"
"Am I going away for longer?" He asked. "Yes, I understand."
"No, Mr. Potter, but I will sentence you with being locked away for three years in the infamous Azkaban." The Judge stated.
Harry's heart felt light, only three years! That wasn't long at all! Right before, though, the gavel hit the table top the doors had burst open. A stoutly man clunked in, suspending himself up by a cane, and waddled toward the judge. His grey hair slicked back and decent. The judge rolled his eyes at the man, before he said the words 'bring him in!' and the doors opened immediately.
"Ron?" Harry asked at the boy with fire red hair stepped inside the court room, feeling joyous with himself.
"What is the meaning of this news Mr…?" The Judge asked.
"My name is Ronald Weasley." He said, continuing his walk to the front. "I am here to tell you myself that Harry Potter is not who you find him to be." Ron said. Harry sat with confusion.
"Forget the circumlocution act!" The Judge snipped. "What is this news that is supposedly so great and wonderful?"
"He has brainwashed his girlfriend, so she can't remember the truth about what happened with Voldemort." Ron stated, clearly lying to Harry, but Ron seemed to be wooing the panel.
"How has he brainwashed her?" The Judged asked.
"Sorry your honor, but maybe brainwashing was a bit strong of a term, but he has put her under the spell that makes you forget things instantly. I know the rules, so I will not say the spell in court, for I have respect for it." He said, with a bow.
"Mr. Potter," He said, turning from the boy. "Is it true you did that?"
"Yes, but it's a reason I have no back up on." He said.
"And why is that?" The judge asked, surprised.
"Because I did it to him too." He said pointing to Ron. "I did it because something happened between them that she wanted to forget."
"What happened?" He asked, like Harry was stupid or something.
"Ron Weasley raped my girlfriend as I stood in the room, but then when I had sent him flying across the room he seemed to have been knocked out. Then I saved my girlfriend from the chains he tangled her in, and attempted to remove her from the scene." Harry said.
"LIAR!" Ron shouted, appalled.
"Of course it seems like a lie to you… YOU were put under the spell too!" Harry sneered.
"ORDER!" The Judge yelled as the room instantly quieted down. "Are you familiar with the Minister's new rules Mr. Potter?" He asked.
"No, sir, I'm afraid I'm not." Harry said truthfully.
"Under section three of code four it states that no magical folk under the age of twenty one should be able to magic unless it's strictly for defense." The judge said.
"Ha!" Ron said, pointing at Harry. "I'm familiar it those rules." Ron said proudly.
"Anyway," The judge said. "I sentence you, Mr. Potter, with no less than ten years in Azkaban prison." The gavel hit.
"But I'm innocent!" he retorted. "I'm innocent."
"GUARDS, TAKE HIM AWAY!" The Judge yelled.
"I'm innocent…" Harry yelled. "Stay away from me! I don't belong there!"
"GUILTY!"
"He's the rapist, he should be sent away! I'm innocent I tell you… INNOCENT!"
Hermione ran into the room with tears in her eyes as she watched them take the man she loved away from her. She looked like a mother who had recently lost a child. When Harry calmed down, he mouthed the words to her, and she had responded with tears filling her eyes like a water fall.
'I'm-sorry' Hermione mouthed.
'I'm-innocent-Hermione-I-don't-belong-there!" He mouthed.
She covered her face and cried into the sleeves of her coat. She watched them pull him out the door with force as she felt like running after him, but Ron was holding her back, but then Harry caught her eyes again. She had made one last motion towards him and began to mouth words again. In one short breath she had verbally said the words that he was searching for.
"I know."
Author's Note:
The title of this chapter is a bit misleading huh? Well, this I think was one of my best. Sorry that I wrote about going to the Ministry so bluntly and badly, but my descriptions are most of the time boring, and I didn't want to bore you. I might not be updating in two weeks, but I'll try really hard if I get ten reviews. Lol. Well, until next time… if there is one… I might be extremely busy next week with work and all. See you soon!
Airalynn
To My Reviewers
Froboy – Here ya are, intense chapter I must say, but I hope you enjoy!
call me brit – Nope, I'm turning sixteen in February, so you're good… lol. Happy Belated Fourteenth Birthday! Ron's death would make you happy? Woah, you must still think that after this chapter!
toga party – How long do you have to live? Lol. Do you think you could have survived another week? Happy Birthday to you too, how old are you? Please tell me younger than sixteen… just kidding.
Sarah – You reviewed chapter one again, but it doesn't matter chicka, they all add up! Looks like I have ten after all, and I would probably kill it if it wasn't for my "fans." Love you oh so much, and see you later!
PrincessLuckCML – Wanna know something creepy that I just noticed? The last three letters of your pen name is my initials. Haha, Chelsea-May-Law, that's so creepy! Sorry to hear about your internet, but the payment thing is about me and my friend need your help with pictures from your hometown. We are writing a book, and we are going to have the setting in either Clearwater, or St. Pete. We are specifically looking for a house that is extremely close to the beach. Is there anything like that in Clearwater?
missradcliffe – They are keeping a low profile, but that thing was wrong with Ron. I found the poetic speaking to be a nice touch, because it's like shocking sort of, but cool anyhow. Thanks for reviewing twice; it means a lot to me!
That's all, until next time folks!
UPDATED: (SATURDAY) OCTOBER 29, 2005 – I'd like to say: Happy Birthday to Robert Hardy, who played the roles of Cornelius Fudge, from The Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. Wish 'im a happy one with me! (Was he in the Sorcerer's Stone? I can't remember?