Almost done! Only the epilogues left! Ain't you lucky? ^_^. Thanks for sticking by me all this way. An extra long section today.

Part 78/?

For those that had understood those words, it was a revelation. Person after person jumped to their feet, only to bow as the living legend walked by. Even the Malfoys and Snapes bent their heads They might not willingly kneel to anyone, but they honored power, and that was one thing this man certainly had. Even those who didn't know who he was could feel the power that he wore like a cloak, power radiating from him to such a degree the wizards had never before seen.

Myrddin Emrys nodded to them as he passed, but his attention was on the one who shared his eyes, and the barely felt indications of the child he was carrying. He smiled gently at the boy, before walking towards the reason he had come. He had heard much of this man from both the foster daughter of Aine and the half-blooded Sidhe, Connor O'Feahr. He did not appreciate what he had heard. Still, he would not have interfered if he had not been kept abreast of the situation while the trial wore on. He knew there was no one there capable of dealing with such a memory charm; but one good thing gained from living a long time is the opportunity to learn much that a normal person, with a normal lifespan, would not have had the time to learn. And if there was a threat to his heir, it needed to be dealt with.

"My Lord, Merlin," Lucius said respectfully. "Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated."

Technically, Alastor Moody knew he should object to a person who was not a registered Obliviator or medi-wizard trying to break a memory charm. However, by this time, he too wanted answers, answers that could not be received without the charm being broken. And, in truth, he was not going to argue over it with *Merlin* of all people!

Merlin stopped in front of Harry, who had stood and was waiting for him. "May I?" he asked.

Harry looked deep into his eyes for a long, long moment. Finally, he nodded his permission. He never took his eyes or magic sense off of the legendary mage, as the man placed his hands upon Harry's stomach. He closed his eyes as he felt... a moment of greeting perhaps?

Merlin stepped back with a tiny smile, and a far away look in his eyes. "It is nice to meet you," he said, although it was impossible to know to which of them he was speaking.

Without waiting for an answer, if indeed he was expecting one, he turned back to the mage in the witness chair.

To most of those watching, nothing happened at all. For long minutes the two simply stared at one another. Ten minutes… twenty… Finally, there was a reaction. Dumbledore's eyes shut and his face twisted as if he were in pain. Sweat beaded at Merlin's hairline. All at once, the ex-Headmaster's body relaxed completely, sagging against the chair. Merlin took a deep breath as he stepped back. "I believe it is done. Will you check?"

Lucius stepped forward and looked into the dazed blue eyes that were just opening, but not showing the slightest sign of twinkling. "Did you know Harry's relatives were harming him?"

"I did."

"Why did you allow it?"

"It made him stronger."

Lucius was silent for a long moment, thinking. "Why else?"

"It made him grateful."

"Grateful to you or to the wizarding world?"

"Both."

Lucius still didn't think he had the entire truth. "It made him strong, it made him grateful... why else?"

"It kept him from getting an ego, from letting being the 'Boy Who Lived' take over his life."

"So, you say it made him strong, grateful, ignorant and humble." Lucius knew that couldn't be all; Dumbledore had taken too much trouble to hide what he had done. "Why else?" his voice was hard.

"It made him ..." Dumbledore seemed to be fighting the potion, but lost. "controllable."

"What do you mean, controllable?" Lucius struck, knowing this was important.

"He was used to taking orders."

"Why was that important?"

"He's a mage."

"And that means?"

"He's a danger if he's not controlled."

"You're a mage."

"I was raised correctly."

"Then, why didn't you raise him yourself?"

"No mage should raise another."

"If he had not been a mage, would you have allowed him to stay with the Dursleys?"

"I would not."

Lucius was just getting more confused. "Why should one mage not raise another?"

"Mages can not coexist peacefully. If not taken care of early, he would have been a danger to the wizarding world, as Voldemort was before him."

"To the wizarding world, or to you?"

"It's the same thing."

"What do you mean, it's the same thing?"

"It's my job to protect the wizarding world from any threats. A new mage is a threat that I would eventually have to take care of."

"Am I a threat?"

"Of course."

"Is Draco?"

"Yes."

"Did you know Severus Snape was a mage before last year?"

"I did not."

"What would you have done if you had known it?"

"I would have allowed him to be sentenced to life in Azkaban." Dumbledore answered evenly.

Lucius looked over at his friend, and took note of the anger, rage and betrayal so obvious on his face. At least obvious to one who knew him as he did. He decided to skip much of what they went over earlier. There were some questions that could no longer wait. They had waited long enough.

"Did you leave orders with those watching Harry, that he not be raped?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I did not want him completely broken."

"Why not?"

"It was likely he would be needed to fight Voldemort again."

"Did you put compulsions upon him?"

"Yes."

"What compulsions?"

"That he know he was not capable of fighting against me, that he would trust me, and to fight Voldemort."

"Why didn't you fight the Dark Lord yourself?"

"Everyone expected Harry to do it."

"Why else?"

"The world could not survive without me. There was a good chance that whoever fought Voldemort would die in the attempt. Harry was expendable."

"Were your other students expendable?"

"If necessary."

"Did you use compulsions upon students other than Harry?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It was in their best interest to do as I asked."

"Did you place a compulsion upon Madam Pomfrey?"

"I did."

"Did you make her use an abortifacient on Harry Potter Snape?"

"I did."

"Why did you try to kill our child?"

"The prophecy proves that the child of two mages would be a danger to the side of the Light."

"And that makes the death of an innocent acceptable?"

"Any sacrifice is appropriate if it is for the greater good."

"Where did you get this prophecy?"

"I found it in Godric Gryffindor's rooms at Hogwarts."

"Who placed it there?"

"Godric Gryffindor."

Lucius shook his head. "No, he did not. He didn't believe in prophecies and certainly didn't have any in his private library."

Dumbledore just blinked, looking confused.

Lucius looked over at the table where Harry was sitting looking sick. He looked at the man next to him and then turned back. "How many people have you placed under compulsions?"

Dumbledore was silent.

"An estimate is acceptable."

"Two hundred," Dumbledore finally said.

"How many of those were students under your guardianship?"

"Most."

"What compulsion did you place them under?"

"Simply that they follow my directions under certain circumstances."

"Such as you getting arrested?" Lucius asked.

"Yes."

"Did you ever convince the Board of Directors to reinstate you by making them believe I had threatened them?"

"Yes."

Harry straightened up in surprise, as did several others. Lucius raised an eyebrow at his husband, but then went on.

"Did you place compulsions on people to find Merlin?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I have been told that either Harry or his child is Merlin's Heir. If that is so, then he will obviously be taking them away."

"What? Why?" Harry shouted. He jumped to his feet and moved away from the eldest mage.

Merlin just frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"There are many things Merlin will have to teach his Heir, so obviously he would have to take him away," Dumbledore answered.

Merlin shook his head. "I do not know where you received your information from, but I can assure you it is not true. Although there are many things I have to teach my Heir, I would not do it with him so young, nor without his informed permission. Upon his eighteenth birthday, if he has graduated from school by that time, he may choose to come with me so I may teach him. I have lived this long, another twenty or thirty years will not vex me in the least."

Harry looked at him deeply, as if trying to read his mind, before he slowly settled down next to him once more.

Part 79/?

For the next four hours Lucius questioned the old mage. Although it started out about Harry, it soon spread to the man's entire life. In the end, it all came down to a few factors.

First, there was the fact that Albus was a mage. This fact had been discovered when he was only five, when, wanting a sweet he'd been denied, he'd turned every bit of furniture in his playroom into candy. He'd been raised by a family and in a time that believed that mages could not work together, and that it was dangerous for everyone if they did so. That idea, being learned when he was very young, was very deeply ingrained in his subconscious. It was solidified by how rare mages were believed to be, and that most known mages were either hermits or evil.

Next there was his fame. Not only for being a mage, though that was a major source, but also for his defeat of Grindelwald. From the very beginning he had been praised just for the power he had. Then, he'd been lauded and praised for defending the wizarding world against the current Dark Lord, called their Savior. He had started to believe his own press. Deep down, Harry started to wonder if maybe Dumbledore had been, subconsciously, trying to keep Harry from making the same mistakes he had.

There was also the fact that power corrupts, and Dumbledore had been the most powerful for almost a century. Everyone else had considered him omnipotent, and he had come to believe it himself.

Once Lucius was done, Moody stepped forward. He knew there was nothing he could ask that could in any way redeem what they all had heard, from Dumbledore's own mouth. Moody's single question was whether Dumbledore had ever placed him under a compulsion, and he was slightly happy to find that the answer was 'no'.

Finally it was time for the closing statements. Lucius went first. He kept it short and sweet, believing everything that needed to be said had already been said.

"There is no doubt that Albus Dumbledore has done everything that he has been charged with, and far more. He has harmed not only Harry Potter, now Snape, but also countless others, placing students under compulsions and using his influence against the wizarding world itself. I do not believe there has been anything said that could excuse or justify his behavior. It is up to this court to punish him to the fullest extent of the law."

Moody stood up next and kept it even shorter. "I believe the only thing that has truly been proved by this trial is that Albus Dumbledore is sick. He needs help, not punishment."

Morann announced a recess for the night, promising to state his judgment first thing in the morning. It didn't take any persuading at all to gather everyone on their side together and transfer them all to Malfoy Manor, Merlin most definitely included.

Harry quickly introduced everyone and they all talked amiably through supper. Afterwards though, it was inquisition time.

"Okay," Harry addressed Merlin, once all the guests were seated in one of the informal living rooms. "Explain please. What's the big deal about being your Heir? Why did Dumbledore think you'd take my baby away, and what did you mean about living another twenty or thirty years?"

Merlin smiled slightly, his green eyes warm, as he looked at the last of his line, though Harry obviously wouldn't be so for much longer. "Do you know how the wards of an ancient place, such as Hogwarts or this Manor, work?"

Some people said yes immediately, while others were clueless. "Many types of wards have to be anchored to a person, a person with enough magic to hold them. This anchoring is at such a deep level that it is almost impossible to break, short of the person's death. In a place like this, the anchor will automatically move to the designated Heir upon the death of the original holder. The holder of the anchor doesn't have to stay at the Manor, or even be anywhere in it's vicinity, not even on the same plane of existence. As long as the person is still alive, the wards will hold. In a place like Hogwarts, the Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress would be considered the designated Heir, and the anchor could be removed by the dismissal of the previous Headmaster, transferred to the new 'Heir'. There are certain other spells that work the same way. I am the holder of a great number of such spells. Because of the importance of the spells I hold, I will continue to live until I have an Heir whom I can trust to hold them after me. Many of those spells are secret and dangerous, and it would be catastrophic, even apocalyptic, if I died while holding them. Of course, my magic does a wonderful job of both protecting me and prolonging my life."

"I know you said most of the spells are secret, but are there any you could tell us about that might help us understand the importance of what you do?" Hermione asked politely.

"I hold the wards for both Avalon and Excalibur," Merlin explained with an approving look. "There are also several magical animal sanctuaries that are set outside of normal space, much like Underhill is. Those spells are also tied to me, and if I died without passing them on, everything there would die as well."

"So once you pass them on, you're going to die?" Draco asked, his brow arched.

"Passing on the spells won't cause me to die, it'll simply make it possible for me to do so. However, I'm ready for it. All I've been waiting for was an Heir I could trust, to whom I could pass them on." Merlin explained.

"Assuming he chooses to accept this, once he's old enough, what would this mean for our child?" Lucius asked.

"I would take him Underhill for about a year or so, to make sure he knows everything and can handle the spells. Once they've been transferred to him though, he really won't have to do anything. I check the spells about once every five years or so, but they mostly are just 'there'."

"Why Underhill? He won't have access to most of his magic there. Also, would he have to live there, as you do?" Harry asked intently.

"If he is like me, and the one other child of two mages whom I have heard of, he will be able to access the different types of magic just as easily as he does normal wizarding magic. If he can't, then he won't be able to hold the wards, since several of them depend on Underhill's magic. He won't have to live there, though it might help if he visits every couple of years. I live there mainly because the Sidhe are practically immortal. I grew very tired of watching everyone I loved grow old and die, and their children and grandchildren as well. I moved Underhill to get away from mortal life once my great-grandchildren had died." Merlin's voice held an age-old pain.

"So one of the spells you hold makes you live as long as you wish?" Thyme asked softly.

Merlin shook his head. "No, it's the magic I hold that does that. You all know that magic is simply life energy, correct?"

Everyone in the room except for Neville and Blaise nodded agreement.

"It is?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Yes," Hermione began to lecture. "Every living creature has a certain amount of life energy within them. Wizards and witches have the ability to use that life energy to interact with the world around them. Life energy, or magic, also passes into the world around the person, especially when there are high emotions, death, or even sex. Actually, it's not only people, every living thing has this life energy and it seeps out of all of them. The energy that is found in the world around them is what mages use, although they also have their own magic to use. Evil mages kill people to release their energy into the world so they can absorb and use it."

"Very good," Merlin complimented her. "That's correct. In a way, using magic refreshes you. All of that life, pouring through your body, has to have an effect. Doing a small spell will give you a few seconds more of life. It's why wizards tend to live longer than non-wizarding folk. Although it's not all good. Completely draining your magic by doing a large spell that is almost beyond your power level is very bad for your body, and can drain the vitality completely away from it instead of adding to it; it can actually take years from your life. Mages have a higher life expectancy if they don't do something that big, because they take more life into them. Most mages automatically take in and release magic almost constantly, and that rush of life energy through them expands their life expectancy even more. A normal wizard's life expectancy is about one hundred and fifty years. A mage's is more like three hundred. However, pulling in other magics, especially those of places like Underhill, can drastically expand that lifetime. I do age, I simply do it so slowly that it is almost imperceptible, because the magic I pull in constantly rejuvenates me. And before anyone says that as long as the child stays in the human world, he wouldn't have to worry about that, I must enlighten you; unfortunately that isn't true. Much of the Sidhe magic is still left in this world for those that can feel it, and there are other magics, such as those of the unicorns, that work much the same way."

"But what guarantee is there that our child would be able to do that?" Harry asked.

"There is no guarantee, though I do feel that the child will, just because of the way his magic reacted to mine. He might not be interested in the job even if he is. There is nothing to say he has to be my Heir. It will be his choice and mine. He might not have the personality necessary to do the job, though I somehow doubt the two of you would raise a spoiled brat."

Harry and Ron laughed. "Lucius raised Draco, didn't he?"

Draco threw a pillow at the two laughing loons, looking very put out. "I am not spoiled, I am simply the best, and don't mind letting the uninformed know that," he said very snobbily.

"Su-ure you are," came from all of the students in the room.

Draco just pouted in response.

"That's okay, Draco, we all love you even if you are a spoiled brat," Ehlana said condescendingly, but she couldn't keep the grin from sneaking onto her face.

"Thank you so much," Draco said with a sneer.

"You're welcome," Blaise spoke up. "You know we live to keep your ego in check."

"Yes," Draco agreed with rolled eyes, "I am aware of that fact."

"Is this something we need to worry about with any other children we might have?" Lucius asked after sending a quelling look at the younger members of the group.

"You mean them being a spoiled brat? That's really up to you, isn't it?" Merlin asked, obviously having no problem joining in with the teasing. He smiled an apology at the annoyed blond before answering seriously. "Since the children of two mages are so rare, it's difficult to say for sure. However, about one in two children of a single mage is a mage, with two mages it is more likely that they will all be mages. The extra power however, I don't know."

"I wonder if it's like a recessive gene," Hermione said thoughtfully. She looked around at the clueless faces. "When there's no magic involved, things like hair color and eye color have to do with genes. Genes are small parts of a cell that decide everything about how a person looks, and even can have things to do with their personality and everything. Children get one gene from each parent, and that decides something like eye color. For instance, if one person passes down a gene for brown eyes, and the other parent passes down one for blue eyes, than the child will have brown eyes, because brown is dominant and will overwhelm the gene for blue eyes which is recessive. However, that child still has a gene for blue eyes, and can pass it down to their child. If both parents pass down a gene for blue eyes, than the child will have blue eyes. If you have two parents that both have brown eyes, but both have a recessive gene for blue eyes, then there is a one in four chance they both will pass down the gene for brown eyes, a two in four chance that one of them will pass down a gene for brown eyes, which means the child would have brown eyes, and a one in four chance they will both pass down a gene for blue eyes. So even if both parents are brown-eyed, providing they also carry one gene for blue eyes, they would have a twenty five percent chance of having a blue eyed baby."

"That's all really interesting Hermione," Ron said, although his expression screamed 'Not!', "but what does that have to do with magic?"

Harry held up a hand to stop his friend. "No, I get what she's saying, but it doesn't explain Voldemort. His father was definitely a muggle; we checked and double-checked with the Genealogy room. Therefore he couldn't have gotten a gene for being a mage from his father. And if the mage gene is dominant over a Muggle gene, than it doesn't explain why there aren't many more half-blood mages. However, if you just think about the rest of it, it means that our children have a one in four chance of being a double mage, a two in four chance of being a normal mage, and a one in four chance of being a normal wizard, right?"

Hermione smiled proudly. "That's right Harry."

"In other words," Snape spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "We're not going to know anything until the babies are actually born, are we?"

Hermione deflated a little. "No, probably not."

Harry turned and looked at his husband. "We're definitely having more than one," he practically commanded. "I'm not going to have any baby of mine having to go through life alone. Even if the only company he has is his brother or sister."

Lucius just smiled and drew him closer. "I've always known that you didn't agree with the one child per family rule most purebloods deal with because of inheritance issues."

"That has never made a lot of sense to me," Blaise admitted, another only child so that he didn't have to worry about other heirs. "We complain about there being too many halfbloods or muggleborn, and yet we don't ever try to increase our own numbers. Except, of course, for families like the Weasleys."

"We'll just have to change that, won't we?" Harry said with a grin.

"By ourselves?" Lucius asked with a raised eyebrow. Not that he'd be at all surprised if the young man said yes.

"Nope," Harry shook his head with a grin. "They'll all help."

"Don't you think you should ask us before deciding our future?" Neville asked. "What if some of us don't want kids?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Harry answered airily. "You've got a year of living with me and our baby still to go, and he's going to be so cute that you'll all want some of your own."

"And on that note," Lucius said, forestalling any more conversation as he stood up, "I believe it is time for pregnant people to get to bed. Tomorrow should be an interesting day, and we all need to be well rested for it." He turned to their guest. "Do you have a place to stay, or would you like a room?"

Merlin considered it for a moment. "A room would be a blessing if it wouldn't put you to too much trouble."

"Not at all," Lucius answered easily. "Draco, find a spot for everyone that wants to stay, we'll be in our room if you need us." Before anyone could say anything more than 'good-night' he swept Harry out of the room.

"I don't want a room anywhere near them," Ron spoke up. "There are some things I don't want to hear."

Draco showed everyone to their own rooms, giving the most opulent one to their honored guest, before heading to his own room. His last comment to himself was, "Father used to be so much more discreet about things like that. Harry's a bad influence." He chuckled as he walked through his door.

Part 80/81+

Lucius quietly led the way to the master bedroom. Silently, they both got ready for bed. Only once they were cuddled together in bed did they actually speak. "Tell me what you're thinking," Lucius commanded softly.

Harry snuggled closer, but his eyes were far away. "I didn't want my baby to have a 'Destiny'," he replied carefully. "It never brought me anything but pain."

Lucius ran his hand over Harry's dark hair. "He doesn't have a 'Destiny', he has a possibility, nothing more."

Harry barked out a laugh. "Yeah, right. Everyone at the trial heard that he's Merlin's Heir, and half of those people were reporters. It's going to be all over Britain soon. And then it won't matter if it's true or not, because everyone will believe it and push him towards it."

"They most certainly will not," Lucius disagreed. "It is up to us, what the child grows up to be. If anyone tries to force him into something before he's old enough to deal with it on his own, then we will take care of the problem. However, considering who his parents are, anyone trying to force him to be something he doesn't want to be will find out just how stubborn and powerful a Malfoy-Potter combination is."

Harry halfheartedly smiled. "I just wanted him to have the chance to grow up normal."

Lucius chuckled. "That would never have happened anyway. Our child will never be anything close to *normal*. Why be normal when you can be extraordinary?"

"Because being normal means you don't have to deal with expectations beyond your ability to handle," Harry turned to glare. "Being normal means not being singled out when things go wrong."

"Perhaps being normal means having friends and family you can turn to whenever things get to be too much," Lucius suggested.

"Exactly," Harry agreed, glad his husband agreed with him.

"And do you believe that anything that happens will take away the family and friends you have already made? Even if something happened to both of us, there is no way our child will ever be without family."

Harry thought about it for a long moment. "That's true."

"Our child will never grow up unloved," Lucius added. The corollary, 'like you did' was silent but understood.

Harry nodded, looking slightly happier.

"Our child will never be forced to live up to expectations beyond his abilities because we will not allow that to happen." Lucius said sternly. "Besides the fact that I am sure there would be very little that is beyond the ability of this child, or any others we might have."

Harry chuckled at that.

"It sounds to me as if you wish for the child to be *ordinary*, and if that is the case, you need to rethink your expectations, because I can assure you, there has never been an *ordinary* Malfoy child, and there never will be one."

Harry's chuckle grew at Lucius' superior and snobbish tone. He knew that it was partly to reassure him, but there was a great deal of truth in what the older man had said. In many ways, normal did equate to ordinary, and the chances that any child of theirs would be ordinary were too extreme to consider.

"You can't blame me for worrying," Harry murmured.

"No, I can't." Lucius agreed. "But I do need you to understand that this child," and he laid his hand upon the slight bulge in Harry's abdomen, "will never have to go through what you did. There will be expectations, yes. Not because he's Merlin's Heir, but because he's *our* child. There will be people who make judgments based on his being related to you, and others on him being related to me. That is something he will grow up with. But they will never be too much for him to bear, because he will always have us to back him up, and rebuff whatever burden society might try to place on his shoulders. There'll always be Severus and Draco to lend their help. And as much as it might vex me, I have little doubt there will also be the Weasleys and Granger, Zabini, probably even Longbottom, Scarborough, MacLir and perhaps even Blankenship. Somehow I just can't believe that your friends would ever abandon you or the child you carry. They've put up with you this long, through some major experiences."

Harry smiled, comforted. "My friends are the best," he agreed, yawning as his tension continued to dissipate.

"Now, what else is wrong?" Lucius asked.

"What do you think is going to happen to Dumbledore? I mean, Moody's right; he's insane, isn't he?"

Lucius frowned thoughtfully. "I'm actually happy that Morann is the one that will be making that decision. Yes, he is insane, but in the most dangerous way; he's still rational about it. Normally, I'd say put him down like a dog, but unfortunately, even after everything, the public would not stand for that. He's still too well loved. Incarceration at either Azkaban or St. Mungo's is out of the question; there is far too much chance he would escape from either of those places. My preference would be to drain his magic and make him a squib, but that probably would not work. Truthfully, I do not see any way in which the wizarding world could make him pay for his crimes."

"Is that why you allowed the Tuatha de Danaan to have so much influence in this trial?" Harry asked.

"Indeed." Lucius admitted. "I had hopes that they could come up with an acceptable punishment."

Harry shifted slightly and yawned again. "I believe Morann will. He's got a really good reputation. And he knows all this too, doesn't he?" His voice drifted at the last words and Lucius was silent, knowing his husband was on the edge of sleep. As long as he didn't interrupt, Harry would be asleep in mere seconds. He saw he was correct, as Harry felt heavier as his muscles lost their tension. Lucius settled himself down, making sure he didn't bother Harry, and that his wand was within reach as he slept. His last thought was that he hoped Harry was right.

Part 81/81+

Morann looked out across the massive group gathered before him. It had been decided to hold the judgment and sentencing outside on the steps of Gringott's, so that everyone could hear it.

"This has been a very difficult trial to sit as judge The charges brought against Albus Dumbledore were horrific, especially considering his position as Headmaster of such a prestigious school, and that he was charged with the well-being of so many children. The damage that has been done by this individual is beyond numeration, and far beyond compensation. And yet, in his own mind, everything he did was for a good purpose.

"Many people have listened to the testimonies and have been appalled at the lengths he went and the things he did. Others will consider it all was done for the good of the wizarding world, and therefore forgivable, no matter how far it went. Some will look at what has been said, and believe that Dumbledore was not in full control of his senses. And perhaps they are all right.

"First, my judgment. On the count of child neglect and endangerment, guilty. On the charge of accessory to child abuse, guilty. On the charge of attempted murder, not guilty." He could see the anger in Harry's and others' eyes and hurried to explain. "According to the laws of the wizarding world, a child in the womb is not technically a person until their magic can be felt as independent of the mother's. That is usually at about the fifth month. As such, the death of a fetus cannot be considered murder." He watched as the Minister of Magic comforted the hurt and angry child and wished he could change his ruling, but it was the only legal one. "The charge of using a compulsion on a mediwitch in an attempt to force her to commit murder, has been changed to using a compulsion on a mediwitch to force her to commit assault, and the judgment is guilty. On the charge of using compulsions upon children, Aurors, and members of the Ministry, to the count of two hundred individuals, guilty. And finally, on the charge of using compulsions to escape from custody, guilty."

"As to the sentencing. Among my people, the charges that have been brought up, most especially the child endangerment and abuse charges, would be grounds for the death sentence. In the wizarding world, the use of compulsions, especially on such a grand scale, would be grounds for the Dementor's Kiss. However, Albus Dumbledore is not of my people, and the Dementor's Kiss is no longer used as a punishment. I feel it would be very remiss to sentence him to either Azkaban or St. Mungo's. The chance of his being able to escape is too high, since he has already shown himself willing and able to escape from custody."

He held up a ball. Those who were close enough could see that it was clear with a kind of blue sparkly smoke inside of it. "My judgment is this. Albus Dumbledore is hereby sentenced to spend the rest of his natural life within a null-magic sphere. For those of you who do not know what that is, it places your body in a type of stasis, while your mind is trapped in an illusion of your own making. It is not a punishment, as some of you understand the word. He will not be unhappy while there, unless his mind believes it should be a punishment. I doubt that is the case, considering the testimony we heard. But, he will also never leave."

"So mote it be."

"So mote it be," the crowd answered.

There was much talking and exclaiming. Many thought it was not enough, many thought it was too much. No one was really happy with it, most especially not the main accuser.

Morann spoke to the members of the press and Alastor Moody, before heading towards those who were gathered together talking quietly.

"Judge Morann," Harry greeted coldly.

Morann nodded his head toward the boy. "I understand that you're not happy, but it was all that I could do," he said softly, but his eyes were like iron. "I went by the laws of your world to determine the rulings and the judgment I made. It is why I came, and it was as far as I could go."

Harry gazed at him quietly for a moment, before nodding his head. "I understand that. To ask you to go against the laws you were here to uphold would go against everything you stand for. I also know that it was probably the only choice that everyone would accept. But you can't blame me for not believing it to be enough. It doesn't seem fair that he won't suffer at all. He'll live in a world of his own creation, and it'll probably be some wonderful place where he's the most powerful and everyone worships him and goes to him to answer every question."

Morann nodded. "There is one thing that I believe I can do which would still be acceptable." He held out the blue ball. "Take one of your worst memories, and place it within the ball. It will be part of Dumbledore's prison, whether he wishes it so or not."

Harry took hold of the ball. "What do I do?"

"Just place it against your forehead and bring up the memory you wish to transfer," Morann explained.

Harry looked into the swirling, sparkling smoke and tried to decide what memory could possibly *show* Dumbledore the type of life his manipulations had made for Harry. Finally, he decided. Only twice had he felt bad enough to even consider ending it all, and it was the first time that he pulled up. Only weeks after Cedric had been killed, while he was still blaming himself for his death and he hadn't been allowed to eat in the past two days. He'd been having trouble sleeping thanks to the visions, nightmares, and his scar hurting constantly. He'd broken a dish after Dudley pushed him and ended up with the worst beating so far that summer, including at least one broken rib. Knowing that he'd still be expected to get up the next day and do it all over again was just too much. The only reason he was still alive the next day was the fact that his room was so bare he hadn't been able to find anything that he was sure would kill him immediately, not prolong his agony and make it worse.

"Thank you," he murmured, handing it back. He did feel better about it now, knowing that in some small way he'd had a part in punishing his tormentor.

"What about that treasure of the Tuatha de Danaan that King Nuada was worried about?" Ehlana asked softly.

Morann smiled back at her. "His guards asked him about it last night while he was still under the effects of the potion. It was retrieved early this morning. We will find a better place for it now."

After that, Morann took the ball and headed off to where Dumbledore was standing. As everyone watched, he opened the ball. The smoke came swirling out and the sparkles in it reminded many people of Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. It covered up the ex-Headmaster completely, and then seemed to be sucked back into the ball, mage and all. In mere moments, the space between the Sidhe warriors was empty.

It was over.

It was hard to get back to normal for all those who had been such an integral part of the trial and what had led up to it. It seemed strange not to worry about who was under control or who might be a danger. Of course, that meant they actually had to spend time on their studies. Well, in between trying to change the wards on Godric's Keep, especially since Godric enjoyed being at Hogwarts again and didn't want to be stuck with only the other portraits for company.

Lucius was hard at work reconstructing the Ministry, but made sure he made it to his and Harry's room in the Chambers at least three nights a week. It wasn't enough for Harry, but it was the best Lucius could do until he had underlings he could trust on their own. Unfortunately, those seemed to be difficult to find. Lucius once said in annoyance that he was waiting until Harry's class graduated so he could grab some of the group. At least he knew that they could be trusted to work independently.

Christmas was the best Harry could ever remember. As much as he usually enjoyed his holidays in Gryffindor tower with Ron and Hermione, this was the first true *family* Christmas he'd ever had. It seemed Draco still had a very childish attitude towards Christmas, as evidenced by him running into the master suite and jumping on the bed to wake them up. Luckily, Lucius had expected that, and so made sure they both wore clothing to sleep the night before. Deciding to go with the program, Harry then raced off to wake up Severus, Sirius and Remus the same way.

Two days later there was a party for all of Harry's friends and their families. And even with the Weasleys, Malfoys, Sirius and Severus all in one room, there wasn't a single fight. It was declared a wonderful time by all involved.

By the beginning of the second semester, it was only because of magic that Harry could get to his classes. Stairs were out of the question and he would have been stuck down in the dungeons at all time if Draco and Hermione hadn't charmed a chair to be able to carry him up and down. It was even charmed to set him on his feet; otherwise, he'd never be able to get up. It was in the middle of January that something new happened.

Harry was eating at the middle table, as he almost always did these days. He was in the middle of an animated discussion of quidditch with at least half of the table when he suddenly stilled. The nearby students abruptly became silent as his mouth dropped open and his fork dropped to the table with a clatter that seemed to be heard throughout the room. His hand flew to his stomach.

"What's the matter?" Ron yelped. "Do I need to get Madam Faire?"

Draco was already waving to his Head of House, his own worried gaze upon his friend.

Everyone calmed down as they saw the beautiful, awed smile that spread slowly across the young man's face.

"What is it?" Severus barked as he ran up.

"Daddy!" Harry gasped out. "He's kicking!" He grabbed his father's hand, and pulled it down to his stomach. Those who were watching, which was almost everyone by that time, saw the frown leave their Potion Master's face, to be replaced by wonder as he felt his grandson move for the very first time. His unflappable and unmovable reputation was completely dashed, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

From that time on, it seemed as if Harry couldn't be in a room without a dozen people wanting to touch his belly. He would occasionally get annoyed with it, but while he might be unhappy with people worshiping him, he couldn't really complain if they wished to pay homage to his son. He was wonderful after all, and he didn't even have to be born for him to know that.

Ginny Weasley returned to school at the start of the second semester. She was much subdued, and went out of her way to stay away from Harry, something everyone was happy about. She only drew attention on her first day back, when she'd apologized in front of the entire school for her actions. After that, she faded into the woodwork.

Flick disappeared in March, while they were at the Manor for Spring Break. Spitfire told them that the pair would be staying on the Manor grounds, rather that returning with Harry and Severus. Then he disappeared, obviously going to his mate. Knowing what was going on, no one much worried, although Harry was unhappy that he wouldn't get to see the dragonettes born. Several weeks later, Lucius portkeyed into the Chamber with a basket that turned out to hold Flick, Spitfire, another female, and six of the absolutely most precious baby mini-drags in existence. At least as far as Harry was concerned. The babies stayed in the Chamber under the watch of the extra female most of the time, with occasional, carefully monitored excursions out to the field behind Hagrid's hut.

Now, it was the end of April. Harry had been allowed to take most of his finals early, so he wouldn't have to worry about it now that he'd been placed on bedrest. He had moved into an extra room in his father's chambers, everyone feeling that they'd be able to get to him better if there were problems. Lucius was there every night, and he never had time to get bored thanks to the people who kept dropping in.

Harry placed his hands over his extended stomach. A year ago he'd never have imagined he could be this happy. Yes, he was uncomfortable, but he was also overjoyed with his life. In only another couple of weeks he would be a father... mother, whatever. He'd have a baby of his own. He had a wonderful husband, a father he adored, and more friends than he knew what to do with. It wasn't how he'd ever pictured his life. He felt blessed. Now, he truly couldn't picture it any other way. Maybe everything that had happened had been for a reason. If it got him this life, he'd do it all over again; but he knew that thanks to those who loved him, such pain would never again be necessary.

Life was good.