Disclaimer: Can be found in the first chapter.

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Chapter 23: Dumbledore's New Home

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The week before Dumble's trial flew for all those involved. Harry had a rough time containing his beast longer than a few hours, so he required frequent visits from Severus during school hours. Since the whole school knew about them, the students weren't surprised.

~*~

"How's the control today?" Severus asked Saturday morning, as he watched Harry get ready for the trial.

"It's going to be precarious when we get there, but I'll steel myself through the trial," Harry said, as he put on his favorite black shirt. "As long as I have something with me to remind myself that I have you, I'll be fine."

Harry's eyes went to the ring on his finger, a small smile gracing his face. Severus nearly groaned in appriciation. After the two weeks of near constant scowling, even this small signal was appriciated.

Harry took a moment to study the ring again. The band itself was a silver material, platinum, Harry guessed. There was an engraving of a snake on one side of the setting, and a lion on the other side. The setting contained an onyx and an emerald, with a diamond between them. He had once taken it off to see the inside of the band, where Forever, S&H was engraved.

"You know, you didn't have to spend a small fortune on my ring, Sev," he said, looking up at his older lover.

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," Severus said, stepping over to the younger man. "Granted, we got together because of the bond forged between us, I would have persued you eventually anyway. Since your sixth year, you've grown into a very handsome man."

Harry looked at the older man, a small smile on his lips again.

"I've never thought of myself as good looking, Sev," Harry said, his smile faltering a bit. "The Dursley's made sure to voice their opinion of me whenever I was in the same room as them. I had a rough childhood, and they got rougher as I was only there for the summers. I know this is going to come up at the trial, and I really need you there with me."

"I have owled Kingsley, and he's allowing both Draco and I to accompany you and Hermione to the trial. We will not be asked to testify, but we will be there for you guys," Severus said, taking a sobbing Harry into his arms. "Harry, I love you. I'll be there for you whenever possible."

"I love you too, Severus," Harry said, between sobs. He wrapped his arms around the older man, bringing them closer together as he overcame his sobs.

~*~

"We're all here, Minerva," Draco said, as he saw Severus and Harry enter the office.

"Are you all ready to depart?" she asked, looking at the two couples. Draco had his arm around Hermione's shoulders and Severus had his arm around Harry's waist.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Severus said, leading Harry over to the floo. He threw some powder into the flames, and as he and Harry stepped in, he called "Ministry of Magic, Minister's office".

A short time later, Harry, Severus, Draco, and Hermione found themselves in courtroom ten in the Department of Mysteries. Harry shuddered, having been in this room once before.

"We're here for the trial of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Kingsley said, from the head seat on the Wizenegmot. "He's being charged with manipulation and bribery of minors, as well as a number of counts of involuntary child endangerment."

"Where does the child endangerment come from?" Dumbledore asked, glaring at Kingsley fiercely.

"Each time Harry had to face Voldemort while he was in your care at Hogwarts," Kingsley said, ignoring the glare. "It was ultimately your choice to allow Harry to do all those things, with the conscience of the castle allowing you omniscence."

Dumbledore muttered under his breath as he removed his glare from Kingsley, searching the crowd for Harry. Unfortunately he found Severus first, who took a moment to pull a memory to the forefront of his mind.

~*~

"Professor, Voldemort has been especially angry lately," Harry said, pleading with his headmaster. "Is there anything I can take to dull the effects of the curses he uses on his victims?"

"I'm sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said, his apologetic look constructed. "There is nothing that can be done to reduce the effects of Voldemort's rage."

Harry continued to plead, only to be stonewalled by the headmaster.

'When will the boy learn, I'm doing nothing to help him!' Dumbledore thought, absently listening to the young boys pleas.

"Sir, it will kill me if it gets much worse!" Harry pleaded, unabashedly starting to cry before the old man.

"Harry, I've said this before, there is nothing we can do," Dumbledore said, fake concern in his voice. "Unless you can talk to Professor Snape, I highly doubt there is a thing we can do."

Harry's shoulders hunched, defeated, as he left the office some twenty minutes later.

'Finally, he learns,' Dumbledore thought, leaning back in his chair.

~*~

Suddenly, Dumbledore sat stock still as he recalled that particular memory. He had been unnecessarily hard on the second year, and he realized his mistake now, as the dementors stood around him. He was afraid of that memory, because soon after, Harry had ended up in the hospital wing with internal injuries from one of his visions where Voldemort had been particularly horrendous to Severus.

"How do you plead on your charges?" Kingsley asked, watching the older man squirm in his seat.

"Guilty," Dumbledore gasped out, the memory making him squirm uncomfortably in the chains. "I'm guilty of everything."

"Why do you say that?" Kingsley asked, shocked at the ex-headmaster's sudden change of heart.

"Because I was as bad as Voldemort at some points," Dumbledore said, tears spilling down his cheeks and into his beard. "I turned my back on Harry when he'd pled with me about the effects of his visions, and one time, I ignored it even after he'd ended up in the Hospital wing because of a particularly bad night. I deserve to rot in Azkaban."

Harry gasped, causing half the Wizenegmot to look at him. Dombledore felt remorse for what he had done, even if it was an effect of Severus' legimency and the dementors.

"All those in favor of releasing Dumbledore from his charges and reinstating him Headmaster of Hogwarts, raise your right hand," Kinglsey said, yet no hands were raised. "All in favor of a life sentence in Azkaban's High Security wing, raise your right hands."

Simultaneously, all the hands in the group went up. The third time a vote had been unanimous in a hundred years.

As the dementors began to lead Dumbledore out of the courtroom, his eyes scanned for Harry. Unfortunately, he again found Severus, who was cradling a sobbing Harry in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Severus," Dumbledore thought, projecting it into Severus' mind. "I never meant to hurt Harry in any way, please convey that to him."

He recieved a stiff nod from Severus before the dementors swept him out of the room.

~*~

Half an hour later, as the group immerged from the floo in Minerva's office, she was shocked to see them so quickly.

"What the devil happened?" she asked, as she saw a still slightly sobbing Harry in Severus' arms.

"He pled gulity and recieved a unanimous conviction," Draco said, as he was holding a crying Hermione in his arms. "I think Severus used legimency on his to bring forward a particularly nasty moment between him and Harry, and that caused him to break with all the dementors around and such."

"I did, the day in Harry's second year, when he was pleading with the old man for something to help contain the effects of the visions to the visions," Severus said, looking to Minerva. "I had caught a glimpse of Harry's side of the memory in his Occulmency lessons in the fifth year, so I knew what I was looking for."

"He pled guilty to everything, and none of us had to testify," Harry gasped, pulling himself from Severus' arms for a moment. "Everything is done, and I'll never have to deal with him again."

~*~

Severus excused himself and Harry, so they could go down to their rooms. After they got there, Harry broke into fresh tears, collapsing onto the sofa.

"Harry, what's the matter?" Severus asked, rushing to his lover's side.

"It's over," Harry managed, "it's all over. I just can't believe it."

"So these are happy tears?" Severus asked, a small smile on his face.

"Very happy," Harry said, launching himself at the older man, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

Severus was caught slightly offguard as Harry kissed him, running his tongue along Severus' bottom lip, asking for entrance. He gladly gave it, as Harry's tongue explored his mouth. He groaned softly, as he felt Harry's arms go around his neck, pulling them closer. He slid his arms around the young man's waist, pulling their bodies flush.

There was a knock at the door, but neither man made a move to answer it. If it was Draco or Hermione, they'd let themselves in. It happened to be Minerva, who also let herself in, but quickly left a note and let herself back out at the passionate embrace she witnessed.

~*~

Bella came out of the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. She had seen them kiss briefly, but never an embrace such as this. The trial must be over. She silently made her way back into her rooms with Narcissa and her lunch.

"I think the trial is over, and ended in the way they had hoped," she said, as she set the tray on the table in their sitting area.

"I had noticed the passion coming from that room. I had hoped things went well," Narcissa said, smiling softly.

~*~

Ten minutes later, the need for air became overwhelming, so Harry and Severus broke apart. They rested their foreheads together, staring into the others eyes.

"I'm so happy we're still together, Sev," Harry said, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Nothing would have taken us apart, Harry," Severus said, gripping the younger man tighter. "I fight for what I love."

Harry smiled widely, pulling Severus closer to him. He had everything he wanted in life, a lover who loved him unconditionally, a family, even if it was one he created, and friends he could count on all his life.

"I still want to give you the grand wedding and the honeymoon," Severus whispered into his ear. "I want you to have everything you've never had before."

"You don't have to, Severus," Harry said, tears welling in his eyes. "I have you, Draco, Narcissa, Hermione, and Bella. That's more than enough for me."

"You may have us, but you'll be happy you married him in the long run," Bella said, after coming out of her room. "He's not a full vampire, so he'd end up passing long before you did. If you were to marry him, his lifespan would equal yours."

"If I do marry him, I want a private service, and NO press," Harry said, snuggling closer to Severus after they sat on the sofa. "I'm tired of my life being thrown all over every paper. I want my life to be shared with those I deem acceptable."

"You'll have that, all that and more," Severus said, pressing a soft kiss to his lover's forehead. "I promise."

~*~

A/N: The trial was anti-climatic as hell, I know. I was feeling unoriginal, and my muse decided to flit in and out, so I came up with whatever came out.

One more chapter, and then the possible side stories. Not sure about those yet.

Thanks for the support, guys. It's been great.

-KD