A/N: Hey everyone, hope your doing alright, hope your Monday's going good. Now last week, I left you with a little cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. Not a big one, well a little bit but a lot of you probably guessed the outcome and the verdict, well it's time to see if you guessed right. Without further ado, on with the story!
"As judge of this session of Elite court in the case of Harry Potter versus Draco Malfoy, I pronounce Draco Malfoy NOT guilty on account of line theft."
This caused an uproar in the court. Everyone but the judge, the jury and the defense were in shock and disbelief. The defense was pleased, happy with the result, while more than half of the jury was grinning or smirking and the other half was trying not to.
"WHAT?!" "HOW?!" "ARE YOU KIDDING?!" "NO WAY!" "COME ON!" several people all around the court all began shouting at once and over one another. The court was in chaos.
"ORDER! I DEMAND ORDER, NOW!" The judge yelled above all of the noise, practically slamming the gavel down to get everyone's attention.
Once the court quieted enough for him to speak over them-even though everyone was still in outrage and talking and whispering were still going on- he began."On one account of use of illegal potions and substances, I pronounce Draco Malfoy guilty. On one account of harming an heiress of an Most Ancient and Noble House, I pronounce Draco Malfoy guilty. And on one account of disorderly conduct, I pronounce Draco Malfoy guilty."
"Wait what? Those weren't even up for consideration." Came a voice from over everyone else's some where on the defense side of the court.
"It was decided by the jury that rather than charging Mister Malfoy with full or even attempted line theft, they would vote to charge him on things there was direct and overwhelming evidence for." The judge stopped speaking again and then continued once the court quieted.
"In response to these charges, I declare Draco Malfoy expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and in direct order to have his wand snapped. He will be placed on probation and house arrest with a strict DMLE monitor. If Mister Malfoy uses magic in any way or comes near magic, aurors will be dispatched to his location. Further guidelines will be negotiated and if any of the decided on guidelines and rules are broken, strict and serious action will be taken. So I say it, so mote be it. CASE CLOSED!" The judge finished banging the gavel.
Aurors stood and moved over to where Draco Malfoy sat, shocked at what had just happened. They grabbed him by the arms and pulled him up. Once he registered what was happening, he struggled against their grip on him but to no avail.
"You'll pay! YOU'LL ALL PAY FOR THIS! YOU HEAR ME? YOU'LL REGRET THIS!" He screamed while struggling against the aurors and trying to fight back, only to be dragged out of the courtroom.
"Holy crap." Muttered Harry as the three got up and exited the courtroom "Someone has anger issues." He commented.
"Seriously? Are you not even paying attention to the fact that he was just charged as guilty? Three times!" Hermione asked incredulously from Harry's right. She was walking in between Harry and Neville.
"He got one not guilty." Came a mutter from Hermione's right.
"Only because they decided not to charge him with that but to charge him with three crimes." She retorted.
"He's lucky they did that." remarked Harry.
"How the hell can that be considered lucky?" She exclaimed coming to a stop causing Harry and Neville to stop and turned to face her.
"If he got the guilty verdict on the line theft charge then it would've either been life in Azkaban or death by the hand of the one he wronged. Line theft is rare but when it does happen it's heavily punished. So yeah… he's lucky." Neville explained.
"Well not the outcome we were expecting but none the less good." Cyrus said when he an Daphne walked over to them in the hall.
"Now what?" Neville questioned.
"Now you four head back to school. I'll see you next week Harry." Answered Cyrus before he gave Daphne a hug and gave a nod to the rest of them. Shrugging, the four made their way to the floo and floo'd to the Three Broomsticks from which they went back to the castle through the secret passage way in the basement of Honeydukes.
Once they entered the castle the four of them made there way to the room of requirement where they met up another member of the group. Neville greeted Luna with a quick kiss on the cheek and the group of five entered the room.
Taking a seat, Harry and Daphne sat on the love seat while Neville and Luna took their place on the sofa and Hermione on the armchair across from the loveseat.
"Alright so while it didn't turn out exactly as planned it still worked in our favor. Wizengamot is in one week so any alterations to the plan? Last second improvements?" Harry wondered aloud.
"Actually, I have an idea for something." Stated Hermione, before she stood from the chair and went to the reasearch table and grabbed something before returning to the armchair. "Now you're going to do a no confidence vote, that's a given. Then you're going to vote in Amelia. But I have an idea on what to do after that. If we really want to change the tides we need something other than the minister. A Minister's power can only go so far, so purpose a new ministry bill."
"What type of bill?" inquired Neville.
"This will limit the power that Voldemort has over the ministry. Wash out his insiders. This bill was attempted in the last war but it was voted against. Anybody voting for it was outmatched but they wouldn't be this time. Last time the bill said that any employee of the ministry had to checked for the dark mark and if found with it would be questioned. Obviously you can see why it didn't get passed." Hermione took a breath before continuing.
"This is where my idea comes in. Take that bill and change it. Make it so that any and all employee's will be checked for the mark along with glamours, they have to provide an oath to each of there department heads that they will not willingly work with a death eater or Voldemort. Each department head will have to have one from each and every person in their employment do it and then report it to the Minister. They themselves will also have to give the oath of loyalty to the Minister herself." Hermione finished.
"Anybody that refuses would look suspicious. That's actually a really good idea." Complemented Daphne.
"Yeah, and if anyone has the mark, their questioned and then what? They can't just be locked up, Voldemort will just find a way to break them out. And if any of them say that they were forced to under the Imperious?" questioned Neville.
"They couldn't." Luna supplied.
"I'm sorry?" Harry stated questioningly.
"She means they couldn't say it was the imperious, to get the mark you have to be willing and prove your loyalty." Daphne finished.
"A lot of death eaters did it last time and they were set free." Hermione interjected.
"Last time the war had just ended and everyone in the ministry was scrabbling to fix things. They didn't care who was innocent or not. Remember Sirius got sentenced to Azkaban without a trial when he was innocent yet Lucius had a dark mark and got off on that excuse. A lot of death eaters did. Remember the Minister before Fudge was just as incompetent, granted he didn't bury his head in the sand like a bloody ostrich but he didn't handle the aftermath like he should've." Neville explained.
"He's right, there was so many trials that had to happen, they took the quick way out and look where it got us." Daphne confirmed.
"Alright so how do we ensure they get what they deserve?" Harry asked.
"There aren't very many options other than death." Daphne stated.
"You're right, there aren't many op-." Harry started before being cut off.
"You could give them to the goblins." Luna stated absentmindedly.
"Wait what did you just say?" asked Daphne.
"You could give them to the goblins to punish." Luna repeated.
"Why would the goblins be willing to take them?" Hermione cut in.
"Because they wronged them. The goblins know that if Voldemort came to power he would eventually go after the goblins, so any affiliation with him, well lets just say the goblins wouldn't have a problem taking care of them. Especially if a valuable customer asked them to as a favor." Daphne explained.
"Alright so we propose this bill, and all of the circumstances and then it goes to a vote?" Harry asked curious.
"Yeah, but you need to bill to actually be written up and well thought out." Neville answered.
"Hermione, Daphne, we have one week until Wizengamot. Do you think, working together, you could get this bill done and perfect?" Harry questioned. Daphne and Hermione looked at one another before giving each other a small nod. Then turning back to the group, Hermione answered. "Yes."
"Alright thank you. Good. So that's all we need to work on for now. Now I think we all have to go get busy." Harry suggested and everyone knew what he was really asking for, privacy. Everyone cleared out except Daphne and Harry.
"So, Malfoy is no longer a problem for us. And we have a empty room. And nowhere to be." Harry suggested while turning to face Daphne on the sofa.
"Uh huh, whatcha thinking?" She asked quietly.
"You know what I'm thinking." He responded in kind. Before leaning forward and catching her lips with his. What was a tender kiss became deeper and turned into a passionate kiss as Daphne leaned back laying on the sofa and pulled Harry down on top of her.
They snogged for somewhere around a hour before, the clock over the fireplace signaled it was twelve o'clock. The pulled back from each other and sat up.
"Well, while that is a very entertaining way to spend our time, I'd be willing to bet the headmaster is looking for you. And it's lunch time." Daphne remarked as they stood from the sofa and fixed there rumpled clothes and messy hair.
"I guess. Though being with you is much more fun than the old fool." Harry said.
"Well I would hope so." Daphne retorted but her words held no heat. Once they finished fixing their appearances, they shared a short kiss before leaving the room of requirement and going their separate ways.
Arriving in the Great Hall, Harry joined Hermione and Neville at the Gryffindor table. Not long after he sat down, Professor McGonagall came over to him.
"Mister Potter, the headmaster is requesting your presence in his office after you finish."
"Of course." Harry obliged. After she returned to the staff table, he resumed eating. Once he finished he moved to stand.
"Have fun!" Neville joked.
"Oh loads." He remarked in return. Standing, he left the hall and made his way to the headmasters office.
"Enter." Came a voice from the other side of the door.
"Mister Potter, I'm glad you could join me. Please sit. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered. Once Harry sat, he shook his head and began.
"Why was I called here?" Harry asked bluntly.
"Very well. You weren't at breakfast this morning, where were you?" Dumbledore asked, as he raised his arms onto the desktop and intertwined his hands.
"Why do I have the feeling you already know?" Harry remarked causing Dumbledores eyes to lose their twinkle.
"Mister Potter, what you tried to do was very wrong. You're lucky he didn't actually get caught on that. You still sentenced Mister Malfoy to a life of misery. Yes he has made some mistakes but he could've been reformed. That was unnecessary. I'm disappointed in you." Dumbledore chided.
"That's where you wrong, I'm not the lucky one, Malfoy is. He deserves whatever he gets. And as for reformation, ha yeah right. If that's how you plan to win this war, your going to lose, miserably. They can't be reformed. After everything they've done." Harry retorted.
"They deserve the chance to be reformed. If we just kill them, we'll be just as bad as them." Dumbledore sighed.
"Hmph, you seriously can't see it can you? It doesn't make us as bad as them, it makes us survivors. We won't survive this war let alone win it if we don't fight fire with fire. Even aurors are allowed to fight with equal fire is they are shot at. It's no different than that!" Harry objected.
"Yes it is, that's their job, it's a necessity. The dark may fight like that with a goal to kill, but the light cannot, we aim to incapacitate not kill or maim." Dumbledore persisted.
"Fine you do things your way, I'll do them mine. If I get into a fight I'm not pulling out the stops just to worry about them. I will defend myself anyway possible, using anything. And don't you even say that, that mentality isn't good and that it's disappointing because guess what. I don't care." Harry snapped, before standing and exiting the office, annoyed.
Harry made his way back to the common room to finish up his homework and to talk with Hermione and Neville.
A/N: Hello everyone, so it was kinda short I know. We are pulling ever closer to the December Wizengamot. The cliffhanger from last week was resolved and it may have had a slightly different conclusion than some of you guessed but as always hope you enjoyed. Also, a big thank you to all of you, we hit 300+ followers! Thank you! Support is always appreciated and happy reading! -DS