Depone: to testify under oath; depose
February 10, 1999
Out in the corridor, Harry fiddled with his tie, tugging it loose and pulling it tight again with nervous fingers. This was ridiculous. After last year, how could this fill him with so much apprehension? He leaned against the cold stone wall and tried not to remember the other times he'd been here, outside the courtrooms on level nine.
He sucked in a deep breath and buried his face in his hands. Was he doing the right thing? He'd spent the last few weeks combing over painful memories, second-guessing himself. Maybe he should just stay out of it. Maybe he couldn't pass valid judgment. Kingsley would be fair, Harry was sure of that…. But without his testimony, the just punishment would likely be life sentences in Azkaban.
Maybe they deserved it. Merlin knew what they had escaped punishment for last time. But this time…. Argh, how did this decision land with me? he thought, kneading his forehead.
A door opened.
"Harry?"
He looked up at Hermione's soft voice. She and Ron were in the doorway to the court room.
"They want to start soon. Are you ready?"
Harry slid down the wall, worrying his lip between his teeth. His friends came down the corridor to join him. Hermione rested the palm of her hand on the top of his head.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ron asked abruptly, rocking on his heels. "I mean… I know you think you owe them some kind of debt or something, but think what they did…."
Harry sighed. "But how much choice did they have?" He asked quietly.
"You always have a choice," Ron answered, perhaps with more heat than he meant to.
Harry knew Ron disagreed with what he was going to do. But he'd come for moral support anyway. And Harry appreciated it more than he could explain. If he wasn't sure he could do this now, he was positive he wouldn't have been able to get himself up there on his own.
Above his head, Hermione frowned at Ron. "We have to at least tell them our story. They should have all the evidence."
"We've already told Kingsley," Ron said, a dark look passing over his face at the memory. The last few days had been almost as taxing as those right after the battle, forced to relive several of their nightmarish memories again and again, analyze them for the sake of weeding out guilty from less guilty.
A warning bell sounded from within the room. At the end of the corridor the lift doors rattled and footsteps echoed down towards them from the unseen passage. Harry hauled himself to his feet, feeling slightly sick. But he knew what he had to do. In his gut, he knew what was fair, even if the evidence and public opinion was against him.
He led Ron and Hermione back into the courtroom to testify on behalf of the Malfoys.
A/N: Not sure if this came out how I wanted it to, but please review anyway and let me know!