-Chapter 26-

Sunday morning Hermione awoke with a smile. There was a mess of fiery red hair on the pillow next to hers and her fiancée was sleeping peacefully. Hermione was startled when something stirred at the foot of the bed only to see Lennox curled up in a ball with the blanket he had obviously dragged in from his room across the hall.

Monday morning, however, was not as pleasant. The mood in the Burrow was rather serious as Hermione and Ginny dressed to go to the Ministry for Draco's trial.

"You're sure about this, Gin?" Hermione asked as she brushed through Ginny's hair.

"I don't exactly have time to write out a testimony before you leave. This will be easy compared to giving it last week about Malfoy Manor."

"Well yes..."

"I can handle it, 'Mione. I want to be there. If he's convicted I want to be able to celebrate it. If he's not I want to be able to kill him. It's quite like when I had every intention of killing Bellatrix before someone decided to risk her life and step in front of me." Ginny turned around with a smile and brushed her fingers on Hermione's cheek. "What about you? You're the one he attacked; I should be the one asking you if you're sure about all of this."

Hermione sighed. "I've tried not to think about it, actually. Knowing you'll be there gives me courage though. And as long as you tell me when you're going to kill him so I can help you out then I have no problem with it."

"Fine, but we take equal credit for this one."

"Works for me."

The women went downstairs where Harry and Luna were waiting by the fireplace, ready to Floo to the Ministry. Willow and Aislin were in the sitting room with the Potter twins and Lennox, Molly was standing at the stove preparing breakfast for the kids. Arthur was already at the Ministry.

"We're leaving, Mum," Ginny said. Molly hurried over and gave each of them a hug before they all departed to the Ministry. They met Ron in the Atrium and the five proceeded to the court room on Level 10. Arthur was waiting outside to wish them all the best.

The entire Wizengamot was already present, Kingsley Shacklebolt sat behind the podium in a large chair. Ron, Luna, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione filed in and sat on a bench along the wall to the right of a singular chair that was in the center of the room.

Hermione slipped her fingers in between Ginny's and held on tight as Draco was brought into the room looking very disheveled. He struggled against the Aurors that held on to him until he spotted the five people on the bench in the room. His eyes fell on Ginny.

"Did you have fun at…"

One of the Aurors silenced him before he could say any more. Ginny noticed it was the woman she had talked to at the Burrow after she was brought home from St. Mungo's. Draco was chained to the chair in the middle of the room.

Shacklebolt rose and stood at his podium.

"This hearing is in session," his voice echoed through the room. "Today, in this session of the Wizengamot on the twenty-sixth of June, we will hear the case of Draco Malfoy who has been accused of breaking and entering, using the Cruciatus curse on one victim, Miss Hermione Granger, and holding Miss Granger and six others hostage; Auror Harry Potter, Mrs. Luna Potter and their two underage sons James and Albus Potter, Auror Ronald Weasley, and Miss Ginevra Weasley. All adult parties are present here today and prepared to give testimony. Mr. Malfoy has refused his right to bring forth witnesses and has entered a plea of not guilty by reasoning that he was under the Imperius curse at the time of the attack. In light of events that have recently taken place it has been decided to allow Mr. Malfoy to resubmit his testimony if he wishes to give the name of the person who he claims placed him under the Imperius curse. Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry saw Draco's eyes dart to Ginny and then back to Shacklebolt. Harry put his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"Rabastan Lestrange," Draco said with confidence. There was a soft buzz of voices that went through the Wizengamot.

Ginny turned red and held her breath. Hermione squeezed her hand even tighter and her other hand reached over to Ginny's shoulder. Harry gave Ginny's other shoulder a squeeze and leaned over to her.

"Do you want to leave?" Harry whispered.

Ginny shook her head no and straightened herself up.

"Are you all right, love?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shakily nodded yes.

"Tell us if you want to go, okay?"

Ginny nodded again and Hermione and Harry went back to looking at Draco who had started speaking.

"…after dinner my mother told me that Rabastan had a job for me to do. When I asked him about it I just remember him aiming his wand at me. I don't remember anything after that except waking up in Azkaban."

Harry twitched. Luna leaned over to him.

"Lying?"

"Yes," Harry hissed.

"Mr. Malfoy this will be considered," Shacklebolt said. Malfoy's chair moved itself to the opposite side of the room from the bench and another chair, minus the chains, appeared in the center of the room. "Auror Ronald Weasley. Please step to the center of the room and have a seat."

Ron did as he was told and moved to the chair.

"Were you present at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place on the twenty-fifth of May of this year?"

"I was."

"Please tell us what events occurred that evening."

"Hermione and Ginny were upstairs in Ginny's room on the first floor, I had just come down from having a talk with them. Hermione's son, Lennox, he was telling Harry he had to use the loo so Harry took him upstairs. I was in the sitting room with Luna and her and Harry's sons, James and Albus. Luna was saying she was going to go down to the kitchen to get some peanut butter but before she could stand up five cloaked figures apparated into the room."

"And what was your immediate reaction?" one of the Wizengamot members asked.

"I pulled out my wand, stupefied one of them and was aiming for another until I saw Draco aiming his wand at Luna. He threatened me, told me if I didn't drop my wand and sit back down he'd kill her. Luna…she told me not to do it. I wasn't going to but when I saw two of the other men each had one of the twins, James and Albus, I dropped my wand. They set the boys on the couch with Luna and I sat in one of the armchairs. The Potter's house elf, Vincent, came upstairs and one of the figures stunned him and tied him up."

"Did you recognize any of the others aside from Mr. Malfoy?" another member inquired.

"I recognized Gregory Goyle. The other three I didn't."

"What was Mr. Malfoy's appearance and demeanor?" another member asked.

"He was clean cut, well groomed. He didn't appear to have done this in haste, it looked planned."

"Have you ever seen someone under the influence of the Imperius curse?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. She muttered something under her breath about obvious questions.

"Of course, several times."

"Did Mr. Malfoy appear to exhibit the behaviors of someone under it?" the same member asked.

"No. His movements and language suggested he was acting all on his own."

"Were Auror Potter, Miss Weasley, or Miss Granger present for any of this?" yet another member inquired.

"Not yet. Harry came into the room shortly after they all arrived and Malfoy started threatening us, saying he wanted to get his father out of Azkaban. We told him repeatedly that it wasn't up to us, just because we worked for the Ministry didn't mean we had the power to break someone out of prison."

"Did he use the Cruciatus curse on anyone?"

"Not at that point, no." Ron remained calm and continued talking. "Goyle did though. I told Draco he was a disgrace and he gave Goyle the okay to cast the curse at me. Ginny and Hermione appeared in the doorway and they both tried to stun Draco. He stupefied Ginny and then threatened Luna again if Hermione didn't drop her wand. After he threatened the twins again though Hermione did listen to him. He continued talking about wanting his father out of prison and when Harry tried to reason with him he used the Cruciatus curse on Hermione."

Hermione twitched and Ginny squeezed her hand.

"How long did that last?"

"Only a few seconds."

"Was that the only time?"

"No. After Hermione yelled at him he did it again. That time it lasted at least three or four minutes before the Ministry arrived."

"Auror Weasley," a tall, slender Wizengamot member with a menacing look on his face rose. "Is it true that you and the four other witnesses have had previous contact with the Malfoy family?"

"Yes."

"What were the instances of that contact?"

"Draco, Harry, Hermione, and myself were all in the same year at Hogwarts."

"Were you friendly with Mr. Malfoy at that time?"

"No. Although during the second war we saved his life twice at the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Any other occurrences with the family?"

"They captured, Harry, Luna, Hermione and I and kept us hostage at Malfoy Manor in 1998. Hermione was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange while Narcissa and Draco stood by and watched."

"Did you ever want revenge?"

"Revenge was served in the final Battle at Hogwarts."

"What about recent events, Auror Weasley?" The man emphasized Ron's title in a condescending tone.

"That's enough, I think," Shacklebolt said. "Auror Weasley has given us his account of the event that is currently being discussed."

"Of course, Minister."

"You may step down, Weasley. Wizengamot calls Mrs. Luna Potter to give testimony."

Ron took his place back on the bench and Luna quietly took his place in the center chair.

Ginny leaned over to Harry.

"Who is that? That man that asked Ron about the Malfoys?"

"Supposedly a reformed Death Eater. Scadley. Shacklebolt's been trying to get rid of him since his first day in office but he's shown no reason to do so."

"Does he know about me?"

"Most of the Law Enforcement department does now so yeah, probably."

"Bloody wonderful."

"Don't worry, even if The Daily Prophet gets information they won't print it without our permission. More specifically my permission. I've got friends there that owe some favors."

The morning dragged on as Luna, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny answered questions for the Wizengamot. Harry was of course asked about his personal feud with Draco from when they were in Hogwarts and Harry's "pure hatred for Death Eaters". Questions for Hermione and Ginny both started out questioning their relationship with each other since "it is difficult for those involved with each other to be objective" as Scadley said. Everyone could tell the members were getting restless having to listen to almost the exact same story five times. Shacklebolt acted right on cue after Ginny's testimony to stop Scadly from asking any further questions. When Ginny, the last to testify, sat back on the bench in her place between Harry and Hermione she was shaking.

"You did fantastic, sweetheart," Hermione said. She kissed Ginny's forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"So did you 'Mione," Ginny said as she heaved a sigh. "What do you think, Harry?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "Obviously there's a good outlook from the standpoint of people being coerced and paid off with Narcissa behind bars but who knows who she could've gotten to take care of that for her."

The Wizengamot members whispered among themselves and compared notes. Ginny and Hermione held on to each other. Hermione kept Ginny focused on her when the redhead started to turn pale. Harry conjured up a goblet of water and Ginny drank the cool liquid.

"I'm all right," she said. "I probably shouldn't have skipped breakfast this morning, is all."

"I'm sure your mother already has lunch ready."

Wizengamot members started scribbling on pieces of parchment that floated onto Shacklebolt's podium.

"Harry," Hermione leaned across Ginny, "I thought they voted by a show of hands or whatever?"

"Not anymore. Shacklebolt thinks it's better to have it done anonymously because of a problem with members being attacked right after the war when they voted in favor of convicting the Death Eaters."

The parchments on the podium shuffled around and separated themselves into two piles. Shacklebolt looked through them and with a puff of smoke the two piles became one large sheet.

"Move Mr. Malfoy back to the center of the room, please," Shacklebolt said. The chair moved back to the center of the room by itself. Hermione pulled Ginny in as close as she could with the arm that was wrapped around her shoulders and Ginny held onto Hermione's free hand with her own.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you prepared to hear the decision of the Wizengamot in this case against you?"

"Yes," Draco answered, his jaw clenched shut.