Using the prompt 'no peeking'

Chapter Thirty-Two

It was dark inside. Cold and dark. That was how she would have described the courtroom.

She followed Harry and Draco Malfoy inside, and upon entering, the first thing she saw was Kingsley Shacklebolt. As Minister for Magic, he was entitled to be there. In fact, she had been told he would be playing a large role in this case, which pleased her.

She knew Kingsley. He was her parents' boss and friend. He wouldn't let that woman walk free.

But, if he saw her – which she was positive he did – he gave no indication. It frustrated Rose slightly, but she knew that now that she was inside, it was all professional. He couldn't be seen showing favouritism (even if she thought he'd like to).

Many other Ministry officials sat around him, all dressed like she remembered her mum dressing in. It got Rose thinking. How many times had her mother sat inside this room, and watched as wizards or witches tried to defend themselves in instances of murder, or practicing Dark Magic? Had she known that one day, people would be entering to watch a trial that was about her murder?

No, she probably wouldn't have. Who would be thinking about their own murder?

Ginny led them over to a bench that was slightly to the left of the Ministry members. Her whole family followed, some sitting behind, others in the benches in front. Ginny sat in the middle of both Rose and Hugo, while Harry sat with her grandparents in the row in front. It wasn't until she was seated that she laid eyes on the one person she had been dreading to see.

There she sat, her back straight, her expression unreadable. Her eyes darted around the room as she took in all the people who had come to watch her be sentenced. She gave away nothing, which made Rose angry.

Didn't she feel anything? Didn't she feel the slightest bit of remorse? Guilt? How could somebody knowingly kill two innocent people and think that what they did was right? It confused her. What would happen if Begonia Webb was proved innocent?

She turned her head slightly to the right and saw Kingsley again. No, she knew he wouldn't let that happen. He'd never let that happen. The Minister was on their side.

The doors to the courtroom closed at exactly eleven o'clock. The room was by no means full, but there were quite a few people there. There were some she recognised the faces of, but most, she had never seen in her life. She wondered if they had actually known her parents, or if they had just come to watch the show. She hoped for the former. This trial was not for entertainment.

Rose didn't know how a trial started, but it was Kingsley who got to his feet. The room silenced, as all heads turned to him. He looked a lot older than she remembered him, Rose realised. It had been a few years since she had seen him last, but people always said he was one of the best Ministers the Ministry had ever had. He was fair and just, as well as kind and caring.

In that moment, Rose was filled with an overwhelming amount of respect for the man. She remembered all the 'magic tricks' he had shown her as a child. She had always liked him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his low voice drawling across the room, "you are here today to bear witness to the trial of Ms Begonia Webb, accused of the murders of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Weasley. Members of the trial, if you do not feel as if you are meant to be here, I will ask you to leave now. If you wish to remain, please remember that it is our lawyers who will be speaking, as well as any witnesses that arise. Please remain silent."

No one said a word as they all watched him. Kingsley glanced around the room, and then his mouth formed into a thin line. He nodded. "I call upon Mr Draco Malfoy, representing the Defendants." He returned to his seat, while Draco rose.

To begin with, Draco didn't say anything. He simply stood there and watched the room with what seemed like interest. Impatient, Rose leaned closer to Ginny, about to ask her what the hell was taking him so long, when he opened his mouth. He began exactly as Kingsley had.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I am here today, to represent the children of Ron and Hermione Weasley. Not so long ago – as many of you will remember – two highly respected, well-educated Ministry members were found dead in their home. Currently, we do not have much information as to why this happened. These were two people who helped to rid the world of the Dark Lord... Lord Voldemort."

Rose noticed the hesitation at the mention of that name. Her dad used to hesitate, too. He only ever used it when her mum was around (who thought it was stupid being to fear the name of someone who was dead). Otherwise, he'd refer to him as You-Know-Who.

"These were two people who helped to reform the Ministry to what it is today. They were kind, gentle people and it is terrifying to think that there is somebody out there who would wish them dead." At this, he looked at Begonia Webb, who was still sitting there as if she had nothing to worry about.

Draco continued. "I am sure that many of you have been reading the papers over the last months, reading the stories that have been appearing in the Daily Prophet. Some of you may even believe those stories are true. But, I am here to tell you what really happened; what could have led to the murders of our two work colleagues." He had a roll of parchment in his hand, which he shuffled. He seemed to be uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he was being forced to speak about Rose's parents in a way he didn't think was true. She believed him when he said he didn't think it was her dad who did it (like the papers believed), but it didn't mean he had to like either of them.

A wave of affection for Scorpius came over Rose in that moment. She'd have to thank him properly next time she saw him. They wouldn't have been here without him.

"Almost two years ago, the Ministry embarked on a mission to a small village in the outskirts of Wales. They had received news of some Dark activity there, and as an Auror, it was Ron Weasley's responsibility to go with his team.

"They had done missions like this numerous times. They go in, they identify the source, and then they rid the village of that source. It was a simple enough task – one that no one was overly worried about.

"What they didn't expect was a counterattack. As you may know, Dark wizards tend to act by themselves, or in small groups. Nobody expected a large number of people ready and waiting for them.

"An attack broke out in the village centre. The Aurors had no choice but to defend themselves, lest they be killed, too.

"This village is home to few Muggles. It is predominantly a wizarding village. But there were children around. There were people who were unable to defend themselves. Most villagers took cover, not wanting to get in the way, but in the chaos, a few stray victims were bound to happen.

"An innocent child was killed that day." Draco paused for a moment after that, clearly giving a moment for his words to sink in. When no one moved, he continued.

"Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this child was not – as originally thought – killed by the Killing Curse. He was, in fact, killed by a stray Stunning Spell. As it was highly unlikely that one of the Dark wizards would use something as simple as a Stunning Spell, the attention turned to the Aurors. Had one of them killed this child?

"An investigation was conducted, and, along with the knowledge that the Head Auror was in the wrong to insist such an attack, it was found that the spell belonged to none other than Ron Weasley."

There were a few gasps around the room, but the majority of the people hardly blinked. It seemed that since her parent's deaths, word of this incident had spread.

"Many of you may be aware that the papers have been telling you that he was the one to murder his wife. I am here to argue that the woman sitting in the chair over there –" he pointed to Begonia Webb, "– was in fact the culprit.

"The Ministry have been undergoing some intense study these last few years to find a way to project personal memories for everybody to see. This study has been found successful, and I hereby call the memory of Harry Potter to be shown." Draco shuffled back as a large, weird-looking device, was brought to the centre of the courtroom. There was one man pushing it, while the other clutched a small phial which Rose guessed contained the memory. She swallowed. This was it. She was going to get to see her parents again.

She should have been excited.

The wizard with the phial tipped its contents into the device, and before anyone had a chance to gather themselves, the image of her father appeared in front of them. Her mother was sitting beside him, a hand resting on his back, as he kept his face buried in his hands.

Moments later, Harry's figure appeared too.

"Come on, mate," he said. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"I still did it," Ron answered, looking up for the first time. His face was ashen and distressed.

Hermione spoke this time. "Ron, nobody blames you except for you," she said. "You were following orders."

He turned to her this time. "And what if it had been Rosie or Hugo?" he said. "Would you be so understanding then?"

Hermione sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "You can't think like that, Ron. Once everybody knows what happened, they'll understand. It wasn't your fault. You didn't point your wand at that child and utter the Killing Curse. You didn't even see him there. It could have been anyone.

"Anyway, the question is, where was that child's mother in all this? Why wasn't she watching him more closely? How did he end up in the middle of a battle in the first place? You are not to blame, Ron. Not at all." She ran her hand across his back, offering him comfort that he didn't want.

"I can't do this!" Ron said. "I can't go back to work, knowing what's happened. Whether I did it on purpose or not, is not the point. This child died by my wand. It was me who took that life." He buried his face in his hands again. "I'm going to quit."

"Ron..." Hermione said. "You're just upset at the moment. Give it a few weeks, a few months, and then see how you feel."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Now's not the time to be making decisions like that.

"Just imagine the papers," Ron groaned. "Ron Weasley, child killer!"

"No one will blame you," Hermione repeated.

"People will blame me, Hermione," Ron argued. "They won't care that it was an accident. They'll still blame me."

"Well, who cares what they think?" Hermione answered. "The people who know you and who love you know what happened. I don't care, Ron, and Harry doesn't care. Your parents won't care, and neither will the rest of the family."

Ron shook his head, but didn't say anything. Hermione and Harry shared a concerned look.

The image dissolved after that and Rose was brought back to reality. Everyone was staring around, confused and disoriented by what they had just seen. Rose blinked away tears she didn't even know she had had. She had never seen her dad so upset before. He was always the happy one, the one full of energy.

It sent pains to her chest that wouldn't go away. She leaned into Ginny's shoulder, who put an arm around her.

"You okay?" she asked softly, just as Draco Malfoy opened his mouth to speak again.

She nodded, and waited.

"You see, ladies and gentlemen, how could a man who was so distressed over somebody he didn't even know, be somebody who would one day wake up and murder his own wife; a person whom he loved?"

There was silence.

And then a screech. Begonia Webb was on her feet, pointing a long, ugly finger at the memory device. "He murdered her!" she cried. "He murdered her, just like he murdered my son!"

The woman's lawyer – Rose didn't recognise her – got to her feet, clearly trying to coax her to sit back down. But Begonia Webb was resistant. She glared at Draco, and then over to where Rose and Hugo were seated. Rose gave an involuntary shudder. The woman terrified her. She wasn't afraid to admit it.

Kingsley was on his feet too. "Ms Webb," he began. His voice remained calm, but Rose heard the silent venom in it. He was furious. "In this court, you speak only when you are spoken to."

Begonia Webb's nostrils flared, but she didn't say anything. Silently, she returned to her seat.

Kingsley turned to Draco Malfoy and nodded.

Draco continued. "Ron Weasley did not kill his wife. He was a loving husband and father, and would have rather died than to see his family come to harm. He and his wife were murdered in cold blood that morning. Ms Webb broke into their home while they were still sleeping." He pointed his wand to another device that Rose had just noticed. It flicked on, and pictures appeared before them.

Rose let out a gasp. No. No, she could not watch that. She knew what Draco Malfoy was about to do.

Ginny squeezed her shoulder, while Rose turned her head.

"As you can see here, both victims were holding their wands when they died."

Rose squeezed her eyes shut. If there was only a way to block her ears, as well...

There was a click, indicating that Malfoy had changed to another picture. Rose heard somebody get to their feet.

"Excuse me!"

Rose turned her head back towards to front. It was Begonia Webb's lawyer. She was a stern looking woman, with her hair drawn back into a very tight bun. Her eyes pierced everybody who dared look at her.

She looked up at Kingsley. He nodded, telling her it was okay for her to continue.

"These photos that Mr Malfoy is showing you do not prove anything. If you are inclined to believe that Ms Webb did not, in fact, murder Mr and Mrs Weasley, then it would become quite apparent that of course both were holding their wands. When Mr Weasley lost his temper with his wife, she tried to defend herself – as anybody would in her situation. But, as you can see in these photos, she was not given the chance."

Rose just wanted to get up and scream at that stupid lawyer. What on earth was she going on about, claiming that her dad had killed her mum. That was the biggest lie she had ever heard. Her dad would never do that. How could anybody ever think that?

She bit her lip as Ginny pulled her onto her shoulder.

"Yes, there is proof that Hermione Weasley was the first to die," Draco said. "However, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to show that she was the first to die, because she tried to protect her husband, of towards whom the curse was originally aimed."

"May I ask how you have come to this conclusion?" Webb's lawyer asked.

There was another click. "Look at the way she is laying," Draco said. "It is in a position to suggest that she threw her arm in front of her husband as a curse came his way. Now, tell me, why would she try to protect somebody who was trying to kill her?"

"Because she still loved the man, of course. Who's to say this hasn't happened before, yet the two were still married, seemingly happy."

"You are implying that Ron Weasley was an abusive man," Draco said. "This is a complete lie."

"How do you know that, Mr Malfoy? Did you live with them? Were you around during every moment of their lives?"

"My personal interaction with them has nothing to do with this!" Draco spat, losing his professionalism for a moment. "This is about evidence, and all the evidence points to the fact that Begonia Webb was indeed their murderer." There was another click. "This is a letter what was discovered in Mr and Mrs Weasley's possession. It is a death threat. The writing has been matched up, and it has been officially proven that this handwriting belongs to Ms. Webb."

Rose lifted her head again just in time to see Webb's lawyer return to her seat, looking irritated.

"Does your client deny that she sent this?" Draco questioned.

The lawyer turned to Webb, and the two women had a brief discussion. The lawyer got to her feet again. "No, my client does not deny that she sent this letter shortly after her son's death," she said. "She was angry and upset – as any mother would be over their child's death – but it does not mean she went ahead with these threats."

In that moment, a young wizard entered the courtroom, clutching a phial to his chest. Another memory.

The youth went straight to Draco Malfoy, where they talked briefly. He then handed the phial over, and left again.

Draco looked slightly shocked. "L-ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I have just been informed that a memory they have extracted from Ms Webb has become available. This," he held up the phial, "contains all the evidence that she did break into their house that morning, and she did kill Ron and Hermione Weasley."

"You cannot do that!" Webb's lawyer argued. "All evidence must be submitted before the trial!" She turned to Kingsley. "Minister..."

Kingsley simply nodded. "In fact, this evidence was indeed submitted before the trial," he said. "Submitted by myself, the Minister for Magic. As per the new wizarding laws, memories are now allowed to be forcefully extracted from witches or wizards who pose a threat to our world. This memory was extracted two days ago, and has been sent away for testing. Now that it is here, I will permit it in this trial." He looked to Draco. "Mr Malfoy, will you explain to the room what this memory contains."

Draco was still looking unnerved by this. It appeared he had been completely unaware of this information. "It is the full memory of the night Ms Webb murdered two Ministry employees. It is proof that that morning, Mr and Mrs Weasley were caught unprepared, and were given no chance to fight for their lives. This memory will prove that Mr Weasley was as much a victim that morning as his wife."

There was a gasp throughout the room. Rose's breathing became shallow as she took in what Malfoy had just said.

"No, no..." she said. "No, they can't!" She fell into her aunt's shoulder, who held her so tightly, Rose felt as if she might suffocate.

"Don't watch, Rosie," Ginny said, pulling her close to her. "Don't watch."

Rose didn't need her aunt to tell her that. She was not going to watch her parents die. Who would do such a thing? Who would show such evidence when their children were in the same room? Rose had liked Kingsley, but now she was having second thoughts. Why would he do that to her?

Rose shut her eyes tight, and didn't turn again. She could feel Ginny stroking her hair gently as he parents' voices began to echo around the room. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to leave. She didn't even think of Hugo in that moment. She didn't wonder who was looking after him if Ginny was with her, nor would she have cared if she had.

The only thing important to Rose in that moment was keeping herself from hearing her parents' deaths. It was almost worse than watching it.

I confess... I've had this beta'd for... um... a month or so, and I just kept forgetting to post it. But I have now, and I hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!