Severus and Minerva snuck into Harry's room early the next morning. "Harry, wake up." Minerva sat on the edge of his bed and nudged his shoulder.
"Hi, Aunt Minerva...are you leaving?" Harry rubbed his eyes. He and Hermione had spent hours in the library after everyone had gone to sleep. They were making a second version of the Harmony spell and working on a few other spells that could come in handy in the days ahead.
"We are. We wanted to see you before the trial though. I'm going to give you a word of advice, Harry." Minerva waited for her great-nephew to wake up a bit more. "I know that you have trouble speaking to large groups, so just pick out one person in the Wizengamot and speak directly to them. I've used the trick myself sometimes, and it works. We'll be thinking about you. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. Though, considering who you're dealing with, they might not let you speak at all."
"I don't have anything additional to offer to that. Having been on trial myself, I understand what you'll be going through, so if you have any problems afterwards, you can talk to me when you get back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. Do write or floo us when it's over." Severus smirked. "Also, as an additional note, try to quell any urges you have to use sarcasm or any other traits you've picked up from me. It won't get you anywhere with those who are out for your blood."
"Am I really that much like you that everyone has to keep remarking on it? I don't do it on purpose." Harry recalled the conversation he'd had with Ginny the night before.
Minerva and Severus nodded. "You are. I think it's the influence of our Black relatives. It's just more pronounced in you because you're a Black and a Malfoy."
"Speaking of Malfoys…are there any on the Wizengamot? Great-Grandparents or something?"
Severus scratched his head for a moment, trying to think. "I believe that your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, Samuel Malfoy, is, but his son, your twice great grandfather, Rufus, may have taken his spot. I'm not precisely sure. Your father will likely make sure you know whichever one it happens to be. We must be going now, before our colleagues begin dueling each other. Most of the students are still there as well, so we'll need to know if there have been any problems." Severus turned to leave.
"Has that ever happened?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "They don't seem like the type."
"Several years ago, Professor Trelawney decided to insult Professor Flitwick's stature, and he, being a former dueling champion, decided to fight her. Not that we blame him, of course…Trelawney isn't one of our favorite fellow teachers."
"I can't wait to see what she'll say now that I know I'm a real Seer. Do I have to continue with Divination, Aunt Minerva? Can't I just drop the class like Hermione did and take something else?" Harry tried to give his aunt the most innocent look he could come up with so early in the morning.
"I'm afraid you'll just have to stick with it for this year. Next year, you can pick up something else to replace it. I'm sure you'll have fun making up predictions for her, even without Ron." She patted his head.
"I could give her real ones, which would scare her more, I'm sure."
"I'm sure that that would have the opposite effect. She'd probably like you more and want you to take additional classes with her."
"Don't ever suggest that again, Uncle Sev. That would be horrible."
An hour later, Harry and Hermione were following Gawain down a long, cold corridor somewhere in the bowels of the English Ministry of Magic building. "Where are we going, Dad? We've been walking forever."
"Apparently the entire council is going to try you. Your thrice-great Grandfather Samuel is on the council, so at least we know that one person is on your side. I received at letter from him last night. He told me that he'd be on your side one-hundred percent because he never liked Dumbledore. You'll recognize him right away, I think." Gawain stopped outside the door of courtroom twelve. "The trial starts at 7. It's 6:45 now, so we just have a few minutes to wait."
Harry put his arm around Hermione. It was rather cold in the corridor, and he was starting to get a bit nervous. "Are you scared?" He whispered.
"Of course I am. But you'll be right there the whole time, so it's not like I'll be completely alone." She took his hand. "I'm trying to be optimistic here."
"Just so you know, Hermione, I've seen several different versions of this trial. Not one of them turned out positive for us." He pulled her closer. "I want you to know that I love you, just in case we never see each other again after this."
"I love you too."She rolled her eyes. "You're being a bit melodramatic, but trust me, I understand."
A few minutes before 7, Percy Weasley came out to get them. "Your presence is required in the courtroom immediately."
"Apparently, someone is still a stuck-up stick-in-the-mud. I wonder if he's even talked to his family since Mr. Weasley and Ron died." The disgust in Harry's voice was evident.
"I don't think so. They were estranged earlier this summer, so I can't imagine, especially with them all being so stubborn, that he would have."
Gawain turned to them. "You know him?"
"He's Ginny's brother. We'll tell you about him later." Percy led them to two chairs in the middle of the large room. The second they sat down, Harry and Hermione were immediately shackled to the ground and the chair.
"I'll need to confiscate your wands for the duration of the trial. Minister Fudge does not want you to act upon any further hostilities you may harbor against him." Percy held his hand out expectantly.
"Do not give him your wands. He doesn't have the right to take them from you." Gawain stood between Harry and Hermione, with a hand on each of their shoulders. "I will not allow you to take their wands and leave them completely helpless should your Minister try to attack them."
"My... the…Minister Fudge would never do such a thing. He merely wants protection against potential murderers." Percy looked at the two of them with disdain. "I told my mother not to let Ronald associate with you two…look at where it got him." He turned and went over to where the council was beginning to assemble. Harry could see the Minister's face turning purple.
Gawain chose that moment to give his charges some needed advice. "Whatever you do, don't give up your wands. They aren't allowed to take them unless they convict you of a crime. Trust me. I know the English and French laws backwards, forwards, and sideways. That's how one gets to be Head Auror."
"Good. I'm glad you're on our side, Mr. Malfoy."
"Call me by my first name, Hermione. Calling me "Mr. Malfoy" makes me feel old." Just then, Fudge took his seat, right across from Harry, and called the trial to order.
"We are here today to try the case of Hermione J. Granger, muggleborn, accused of assaulting a Ministry official, murdering Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore with an unknown and unapproved of spell, breaking the International Statute of Secrecy, using underage magic, and using illegal spells. We are also trying the case of Harrison O. A. Black Malfoy, pureblood," Harry heard gasps from the crowd at the reading of his name, "who is accused of all of the aforementioned crimes." Fudge stood up. "Delores Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister, will now present a pensive memory of the vicious and unprovoked attack carried out by these two individuals." Everyone turned to watch the memory.
"It wasn't vicious; he doesn't even have a bruise!" Hermione whispered loudly. "All I used was a stunner…I obviously wasn't trying to harm him."
"No kidding. Everyone is going to agree with us, especially since they can tell we didn't use any illegal spells or use any spell with the intent to kill. I didn't want to kill him, that's why we came up with our spell."
It was quite clear to everyone on the jury that most of the charges were false. Harry searched the large group, trying to find his relative. It didn't take long, since he had the recognizable Malfoy features and was sitting directly behind the Minister. Samuel made eye contact with Harry and nodded.
"The council has requested to see a demonstration of the spell that they used. Head Auror Malfoy of the French Ministry has already provided us with the children's notes from their spell development, which was very well documented, as well as the reports from the French Spell-Caster Division of the French Ministry, who examined the spell yesterday." Amelia Bones looked at Fudge. "Could you please release them so that they may show us? Lord Samuel Malfoy has graciously offered to be an additional test subject for this so-called "Harmony Spell"."
Samuel Malfoy, who was surprisingly agile for someone approaching 132 years old, came over to where Harry and Hermione were now standing. "I trust you, son. If this spell kills me, which, after reading your notes I should think it won't, I shan't hold it against you. You have a good future, lad, and I expect to see you at Christmas dinner— all three of you, and your uncles. "
"If they don't throw us in Azkaban, we'll be there, sir." Harry grinned.
Harry and Hermione stood a few feet away from the Malfoy patriarch and performed the spell, just as they had the day before. Many of the Wizengamot members, most of which were quite old, were awed by the way the couple worked together, and the fact that two fifteen year olds could invent and perform a non-verbal spell. Samuel Malfoy, for his part, smiled broadly when the spell was completed.
"This is the best I've felt in years! Thank you."
"Anytime, sir…anytime." Harry looked at Hermione. "I think we'll be alright, 'Mione."
As soon as Samuel was back in his seat, Fudge, who was as purple as Harry had ever seen someone who was still alive get, spoke again. "All who declare the two alleged-murderers innocent, raise your hands." Everyone except for Umbridge, Fudge, and someone who muttered something about "Stupid Malfoys" raised their hands.
Amelia Bones spoke again. "I would like to refute any questions you may have on our collective verdict, Minister. First, neither of these children, if I may call them that, broke the Underage Wizardry laws because they don't live in England. The French laws state that as long as one individual above the age of 21 supervises the children, a child as young as six may use magic. They were supervised, since they were fighting a wizard well over the age of 21, and though you may have been indisposed, you were there. In addition to that, the Statute of Secrecy wasn't broken, no memories had to be erased, and not one Muggle saw anything they weren't supposed to. Ms. Granger and Mr. Black Malfoy used entirely legal spells in their fight, it was only Dumbledore who used illegal spells."
"But the spell they used in front of us is untested and therefore illegal! I can have you taken care of Amelia Bones!" The Minister tried one last, futile attempt.
"The spell was very well researched and we've had our Unspeakables look at it and test it. It's perfectly safe for anyone who chooses not to do evil. We've declared it legal for use in Britain, and the Head Auror of France, who controls such things, has declared it legal there. In fact, we've decided to take this opportunity to put you on trial for all of the things you've done while Minister." She looked at Harry and Hermione with unbridled glee. "You're free to go. We're sorry for causing you such inconvenience. Thank you for getting rid of that old meddler for us."
Harry and Hermione walked happily out of the court room hand in hand, leaving a fuming Fudge and a bewildered Percy Weasley to deal with the wrath of the Wizengamot.