November was well on its way, I could feel it bringing in the winter. Or maybe the court room at the Ministry of Magic was always this cold. I had a hard time deciding. Earlier this week I received an owl from the Ministry, summoning me for a hearing. The charges of which I had been accused were enough to put me in Azkaban for the rest of my days. I was so nervous I struggled to sit still.

"Mr Malfoy. I will ask one more time. Are you willing to drink the veritisirum?" Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. His bright green robes stood out among the red robes of the rest of the jury.
"I am." I answered. Drink veritisirum or go to Azkaban. I had no intention of going anywhere near a Dementor ever again. The ominous cup sat infront of me. Two drops of potion mixed into a small cup of water. Here goes nothing. I drained the cup. My emotions stilled and disappeared, my eyes focused intently on the Minister.

"You are Draco Lucius Malfoy?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Explain to me, of your knowledge, why you have been brought here today." He leaned forward a little.
"Nott's photograph was discovered on the grounds of Hogwarts."
"Very good. Have you ever seen his photograph?" He questioned.
"No."
"Have you ever searched for the photograph." He looked down at the parchment in front of him.
"Yes."
"Where and when?" He took his quill from the ink pot.
"Inside the circle, on and around Notts body. I entered on September seventh."
"What were your intentions?" He asked.
"To burn the photograph and save anyone in the circle."
"Why did you want to burn the photograph?" He questioned.
"I knew that burning it would release the soul, it seemed the right thing to do."

"Did you kill or harm any of the men inside the circle?" He wrote vigorously on the parchment.
"No. I'm fairly certain the three men were already dead when I entered."
"There were three students also inside the circle?" His quill abruptly stopped.
"Yes."
"You didn't see any suspicious behaviour from them?" He looked up to me.
"No. They were scared."
"In your mind, would it be possible that one of the students took the photograph?" It occurred to me it was an odd question.
"From approximations, ten minutes had passed between the students and I arriving in the circle. It is possible."
"Why do you think the students were alive but not the runes expert, who arrived after them?" One of the red cloaked jurors looked at him. Opinions were a waste of veritisirum.
"I've never given it much thought Minister."

"Has Gregory Goyle made any form of contact with you since the letter you received and passed on to the Ministry?" I noted his abrupt change of subject.
"No."
"Do you want Goyle to be found?" A personal question which turned more heads of the jury towards the Minister.
"Yes." The answer was not what I thought it would be.
"Do you currently feel any malicious intent towards anybody?" He asked.
"No. Although, I would like to kick Ronald Weasley, Minister." He raised an eyebrow and collected up parchments from the jury. He scanned all twelve of them.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy. All charges of murder and withholding information are dropped. You are free to go. We advise two days of rest to let the effects of veritisirum wear off. Court adjurned." He smiled in my direction before leaving through a door at the back of the stands. I'd always thought he was a good Minister for Magic.

Mother and Father waited for me just outside the court.
"Cleared of everything?" Father asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"Let's get you home darling." Mother smoothed back my hair. Her touch felt reassuring.
Father had to go back to work. My being put on trail hadn't done him any favours at work. There had been talk of him being fired if I was found guilty of any charges.

We apparated to the apartment with a loud crack and I set about doing homework. Although I was appreciative that the next two days were the weekend, I was still catching up on mounds of work from being in the circle. I settled into writing a parchment on the basics of curse breaking, with books spread all around me.
"How is homework going darling?" Mother stood in the doorway to my room.
"I wish I understood it better. I should re-read 'A guide to Curse Breaking' but I just don't think I have the time." I sighed.
"If you read the book again, maybe you would be faster doing your homework." She commented. How was it she always made perfect sense? I moved the parchment to the end of the desk and placed the curse breaking book in front of me. "How are you feeling? From the veritisirum?" She asked.
"Emotions are returning, which sucks when you have to be honest all the time. I can't even lie to myself." I admitted.
"It'll pass. Don't you worry darling." She put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I told the Ministry I wanted Goyle found." I hung my head, feeling as though I had betrayed my friend. It meant they hadn't found him yet.
"We have to play our role in the new world Draco. Once the Ministry is content that they know everything, they will fear nothing. Harmony will come just as we need it." I looked up to her calm smile.
"It sounds as though you have some malicious intent yourself Mother." I commented.
"The Dark Lord was beneath us Draco, don't you forget that." She quipped.
"The Dark Lord was certainly beneath me, Mother." I snapped.
"Dinner is on the table. Will you call your Father home, he's late." She asked, ignoring my oncoming tantrum.
"But.." She turned to leave, I looked at her back with exasperation.
"Draco, please." Her voice worried.
I reluctantly pulled out my wand and rolled up my sleeve. I placed the tip of my wand into the centre of my swollen red dark mark and thought of my Father. The mark scolded my arm as if boiling water had been poured upon it. I bent over and screamed in agony, clutching my wand and arm close to my chest. With a loud crack Father appeared before me and the pain subsided.

He turned on me.
"Do that again boy and I'll hide you so bad you'll wish you'd never been born." He growled and sauntered from the room. Summoning him had been worse than any hiding. It was about right. Mother's worried, Father's mad, everyone gets upset at me. I wished I was back at school.

I slammed my book shut and stuffed my wand back into the holder. I stalked into the dining room trying to take deep breaths to calm my temper. Mother and Father were already sat, arguing at a whisper as to try not allow me to overhear. They abruptly quietened as if nothing had been going on. I sat down to my plate of steaming vegetables and boiled potatoes. Silence lasted until I had almost cleared my plate.
"Why don't you have some meat boy?" Father stood to cut some lamb.
"I'd rather not Father." I said, trying not to express my thoughts further.
"Don't be so ridiculous Draco. You'll waste away to nothing." He cut another piece and put it on my plate.
"I've seen enough murder Father, I don't need to see it on my plate." He looked as though he was about to get very angry. If it hadn't been for the veritisirum I might have just said I was full. Mother interjected before Father's temper could take over.
"It's just a phase, Lucius. He'll grow out of it." He seemed to calm a little.
"My son. A vegetarian." He spat.

"May I be excused?" I asked. I got up without waiting for an answer and made for my bedroom. Mother was right on my tail. Father was right, I had lost weight from not eating meat. I still wasn't going to eat it though.
"Draco." I reached my room and began packing my things into my bag. Books, clothes and homework. "Draco, your Father had a rough day at work, it's no reason to leave. You need to stay, rest until the veritisirum has worn off completely." She looked worried as I finished packing my things and put my bag onto my shoulder.
"I'm done with being told what to do Mother. I had enough of that from the Dark Lord, I don't need it from my parents too. Whatever you and Father have planned for me, I won't be participating." I opened the door from my bedroom to the balcony and stepped out into the evening air. Tears sparkled in Mother's eyes. I leapt over the railing.

I landed in a field. I had been aiming for Hogsmeade to go back to school. Maybe apparating just before hitting the River Thames from twenty floors up wasn't such a great idea. I looked around. The sun was setting and there was nothing but fields and sheep in sight. I'd never been here before. Ironic. I brought up a clear image of Hogsmeade in my mind and turned on the spot. Another field. The air was colder here and I took a guess that I had reached Scotland. Definitely closer to Hogwarts than London. At a second glance I noticed a barn in the distance. I had been here before. While I was under the imperious curse, there were people hiding in the roof space. The memories were fuzzy, I couldn't remember who I was with. Perplexed and wanting to know more, I headed over to the barn.

It was really quite large from close up. I pulled on the door latch and found it locked. I pulled out my wand pointed it to the lock. It clicked and the latch opened. I looked around behind me for any muggles but all I could see were sheep. I quickly went into the barn and shut the door behind me. Inside the barn was a horse, I'd seen the creatures before passing the Manor, often pulling carts. The horse neighed loudly but I ignored it in favour of taking in my surroundings. I recognised the stables at the back and realised that I had entered from the door at the other end of the barn the last time I had been here. The roof and beams looked like they had been rebuilt. I could remember destroying some of the original beams, a man and a woman had been hiding up there. I walked forwards to a darkened patch on the ground, stained with blood, which had been covered with straw. I tortured someone here. I could almost see the woman writhing in pain. The Dark Lord had murdered them. My heart ached. I wished so much to be back home with my parents. In my Mothers comforting arms.

I left the barn. I needed to go home. Home to the apartment in London. I turned on the spot thinking of my bedroom. Its silk green bed sheets and blackout curtains. I closed my eyes in hope but when the rush of adrenaline subsided, I still felt the cold wind against my face. I reluctantly opened my eyes. Another field. What on earth was wrong with me? I wracked my brain. I knew how to apparate like black smoke, like a Death Eater. To slow down so much you could control where you landed. I mustered my strength and stepped forwards into the air. The speed of flight felt invigorating and my head began to clear as I flew low over the fields, hoping I was headed to London. I heard two bangs ring out in the night sky. Two small silver things hit me in the chest, knocking me backwards from the apparation. I screamed in pain as I landed hard on the ground. The small silver things were embedded into my chest.

"Can you tell me your name?" The bright lights hurt my eyes. They wooshed past as if I were flying through a tunnel. I was laid on a moving bed. How odd.
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." I splutted. My throat felt horse. I tried to reach for my wand but I couldn't move my arms without pain exploding through my chest. "Okay. We're on our way to surgery. You've been shot. Is there anyone I can call?" Her bright face looked at mine.
"Call? What is surgery? Let me go, Granger will heal me." I asked puzzled trying once again to reach for my wand. I realised a tube was sticking into my skin where my wand and its holder should be.
"You need to lay still Draco. Who is Granger?" I felt like I shouldn't answer but the veritisirum hadn't yet worn off.
"Hermione Granger, from school." I answered, feeling offended at her insistence upon using first names.
"Okay, I need you to take some nice deep breaths now, Draco." She placed a big clear plastic thing over my face. I tried to push it away but she held it firmly in place. I adamantly decided not to take any deep breaths and wondered if she was trying to suffocate me. I began to feel incredibly tired all the same. My eyes closed and I was gone.

I woke up to an annoying slow beeping. I hoped it would stop if I opened my eyes. I risked it, the beeping continued. I was laid on a bed, one of six in the room. Although I couldn't be certain there weren't more because some areas were blocked off with ghastly looking curtains. There were three other people on beds, all wearing horrible scratchy gowns like my own. I wondered who had changed me and where my clothes were. Two of the patients were asleep and one was awake, staring at me. He had a tube in his arm like mine, leading up to a bag on a hook. I also had a white plastic thing stuck on my finger, I tried to pull it off but was rewarded with a sharp twinge of pain in my chest. I looked up to see a woman in a blue tunic walking over to me.
"If you could leave that in place in would be much appreciated, Draco." I scowled at her.

"How are you feeling? In a lot of pain?" She asked.
"No." I lied. At least the veritisirum had worn off. "Can I please leave?" I asked trying to sit up. She put a hand to my arm and held it down gently.
"Not yet Draco. You were shot in the chest, it might take a little while to get better." I frowned at her. "Someone from the police will be in shortly to ask you a few questions." She left. Well, that explained it. I was definitely in a muggle hospital. We had Aurors, they had Police. I wondered if the police killed people too, like the Aurors did. I hoped I could leave soon, Mother would be worried if she knew I hadn't made it to Hogwarts.

A large man in a uniform entered the wing and made his way over to me. He looked very official with a hat and clipboard. He took the chair from the top of the bed and sat to the side of my bed.
"Draco Malfoy?" He asked curtly.
"That is my name. " I answered. What was with these muggles and their use of first names?
"We haven't been able to contact your family. We sent an officer to your listed address but the property was abandoned." He commented. We were listed as still living at the Manor.
"I don't live there anymore." I admitted.
"May I have your current address?" He asked, seeming exasperated.
"My home address or term time address?" I asked, trying to avoid answering.
"I would suggest your home address, Draco." He used a blue plastic tube to write on some parchment. These muggles sure seemed to love plastic. What was wrong with quills?
"I don't know it. We only just moved there." I lied. I did know.
"Do you have any means of contacting your family?" I thought hard. Owl? That wasn't a method used by muggles, of that I was sure.
"No." And that was a little worrisome.
"We can return to that later." He added, noting my panic.

"The farmer who shot you thought you were a bat. I have no idea how he thought that, but he did say it was very dark and he may have been confused. We know that you were trespassing but he is willing to drop the charges based on him putting you in hospital. He shouldn't have even been carrying a gun." He sounded annoyed. "You could press charges for him shooting you but I suspect the outcome would only land the both of you in prison." He looked for a reply.
"I'm not looking to put anyone in prison, officer." I said. I wondered where my wand was.
"The nurse asked me to check if you wanted to report the artist who did the tattoo on your arm, she said she it's badly infected and gave you an extra shot of antibiotics for it." I looked at my arm. The tube was stuck in just below my swollen dark mark. I realised my dark mark would be my ticket out of here. Summon Father and have him take me home.
"I'm pretty sure he's already locked up." I lied. The officer looked down at his clipboard.
"That seems to be all, unless you can think of an address we can use to contact your parents." He looked at me with more patience than I thought possible.

The door to the wing banged open. A tall man in bright yellow robes entered.
"Draco!" He said loudly with a heavy accent. I recognised the Minister for Magic.
"And you are?" The police officer asked, turning to the intruding Minister.
"I am young Draco here's Uncle Kingsley." His tone quietened. "By marriage of course. His parents are both working away, when I realised he was missing I contacted the police and was direct straight here. Thank you for finding my Nephew, officer." He lied as he took the officers hand and shook it briskly.

Shacklebolt whispered quietly to the officer, in such a low tone I couldn't register. The officer stood.
"I'll go get your discharge papers. Your belongings are in the drawers by the bed." He walked away. Kingsley busied himself stuffing my clothes, wand and bag all into a bag he produced from a pocket in his robes. I looked at him in puzzlement. I struggled to sit up, reminding myself that any pain I felt, I had felt much worse before.

The Minister penned his signature on the parchment produced by the police officer using the plastic tube. The nurse walked quickly over and removed the tube from my arm. I was shocked at the length of the needle which had been under my skin. She added cotton wool and a piece of tape to the area which it had been pulled out of. She took the clip off of my finger and passed the Minister three bottles of odd shaped balls and one bottle of liquid which I assumed was a muggle potion. She worked robotically and silently as if in a trance or under the imperious curse. She brought over a seat on wheels. I stared at it.

"Get in Malfoy. We need to get out of sight before we can apparate." Shacklebolt busied himself with the nurse and police officer until they both left. By which time I had managed to get into the chair. My breath was ragged with pain, I tried to calm myself. This pain I could handle. The Minister pushed the chair out of the ward and down the corridor until we reached an empty bathroom. He turned on the light and locked the door. "Can you stand?" He asked.
"Maybe." Was my answer. I tried to push myself up but the pain and pressure on my chest was making me feel light headed. "I can't. Sorry Minister." I added.
"I'll pick you up. Shut your eyes and ignore the pain." I did as he asked. Even as he struggled to get me out of the chair and into his arms, the pain was no worse than inside the circle. When he turned on the spot I hung on tighter, willing myself to stay conscious cradled in his arms.

I felt the cool evening air on my skin and hoped only a day had passed since I left home. I opened my eyes to see the road which led to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade.
"I thought you were taking me home?" I asked. I really wished I were home. I felt exhausted.
"I intend to take you straight to the hospital wing. There'd be no point taking you home, only to need treatment from a Healer. I hear Madame Pomfrey is as good as any Nurse at St Mungos." He wrapped his cloak around me and I was thankful. The hospital gown gave little protection from the cold and wind.
"I wish I could walk." I grumbled, knowing I'd probably drop to the floor after a few steps.
"You'll be running by the time Madame Pomfrey has finished with you." He chuckled.
"I sure hope so." I thought."Can I ask Minister, what became of the photograph?" I asked.
"There was a write up in todays Daily Prophet. I'll make sure you get a copy in the morning." He answered.
"Today is Saturday?" I puzzled, hoping it was.
"Yes. Rest, Malfoy. It's a long way to the hospital wing even at my pace." I leant my head against his cloak and fell asleep to the Minister's soothing hum.

A/N - Sorry if this chapter is a little depressing, there will be more happiness and Hermione in the next! I'll address more Ginny stuff soon too, as requested!