Chapter 25: We Don't Talk About (or to) George

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, your Honor."

"Will the foreman please read the verdict?"

In his seat along the defense table next to Gawain Robards and Daphne Greengrass, Harry felt himself tense with anticipation. As an Auror in training, legal accountability may have taken up far less than law enforcement did in his job description, yet that didn't mean he did not want to do well within all facets of an Auror's duties. To the contrary, he was really hoping for an acquittal on at least some of Daphne's more serious charges, if not all of the charges.

The preparation of the Greengrass defense had been grueling. But the more time Harry spent with his client, the more he had become convinced that, so long as one was willing to look at the case with impartial eyes, there was a possibility that Daphne may be telling the truth. Whatever that truth was, at least as the jury was about to declare what was considered truth about what had gone on at Hogwarts, what was clear to Harry now was that many of the Slytherin students – though by no means all - particularly the older ones, had been given a bad rep. There were accusations, rumors of what the Slytherins had done in service to the Carrows and Snape during the occupation. But how many of those actions had been done with deliberate forethought, and how many had been coerced? Survivors from the other Houses liked to proclaim loudly that they had been the ones being persecuted, which was clearly the truth…. just an incomplete one. Had any of the kids in the DA really stopped to think that maybe there had been Slytherins who were terrorized too? Harry suspected that there had to have been Slytherins who didn't go enthusiastically all in to execute the Carrows' authoritarian plans. In depositions, Daphne had seemed to suggest that she had been one of those, only to be bullied by Amycus and Alecto and others, including, according to her, Malfoy.

Much of the case had rested on a debate about what did and did not constitute free will. The ability to make choices for oneself without any outside or undue influence. As Robards had warned Harry, coercion didn't always spell 'Imperius Curse' – children could still be just as impressionable without one, especially when trapped in a power dynamic with an adult whose sense of ethics could be clearly called into suspect question. Depending on how the jury ruled now, Daphne Greengrass vs. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could act as a bellwether for many of the prosecutions against former Slytherin students for months and even years to come.

The bailiff now read the verdicts; Harry and his team held their breath. "We the jury, in the above entitled action, find Daphne Sierra Greengrass….. Not Guilty for the charge of torture and false imprisonment of a wizarding minor, as outlined in Count 1…"

Gasps and even a few roars of shock went up in the courtroom, and Daphne curled into herself, sobbing quietly with relief. Harry patted her shoulder.

"We the jury, in the above entitled action, find Daphne Sierra Greengrass….. Not Guilty for the charge of aiding or abetting in the unlawful occupation of a federal, government or academic building, as outlined in Count 2….."

Robards clenched his fists in victory, letting out a triumphant growl.

The reporters for all the newspapers were scrambling to take down the shocking headline. Daphne turned to her legal team, at a loss for words.

"I…. I don't know what to say…."

"How about…. thank you?" Robards smirked, though it held no malice.

Daphne meekly shook the Head Auror's hand. Upon turning to Harry, she seemed uncertain as to how to address him.

"I was wrong about you. They were wrong about you. It's not true, what the Dark Lord and others said. You were fair to me, and compassionate."

Harry dipped his head deferentially. "I also had a job to do," he pointed out to her. "And that was defend your rights."

She bit her lip. "Be honest with me: do you think I'm innocent?"

"That wasn't for me to say, Daphne – only the jury could, and they just did. But, seeing as an honest question deserves an honest answer…" He took a deep breath. "Yes. If I didn't believe you were innocent, I would have asked to be withdrawn from the case. Whether or not I would have succeeded in doing so is an entirely other matter."

Daphne smiled. "Well…. thank you." Then, suddenly, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek. Harry tried not to jerk too much in shock, though he was tickled. Seeing his reaction, Daphne smirked. "Don't tell the Weasl – Ginny….. I did that. I'd rather not have a repeat of the Bat Bogey Hex."

Harry chuckled. "Deal."

She searched his eyes, looking almost akin to a lost puppy. "What…. what do I do now?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Try to move on. Atone, for whatever you do feel guilty about doing. You took actions under immense pressure from adults abusing their positions of authority, and were encouraged to model after all the wrong people. The jury was able to make that distinction. But there will be some people who still believe you got away with torture and plenty more besides. Your job now, for the rest of your life, is to prove them wrong."

Daphne nodded thoughtfully. "I can do that."

The defense team left the courtroom, Harry getting briefly sidetracked by Jimmy Peakes, here in his capacity working the courtroom beat on behalf of the Daily Prophet. After giving a brief statement, Harry glanced at his pocket watch that had once belonged to Fabian Prewett.

"Holy Godric, I'm late! Listen, Robards, I've got to go…."

"…. Take a rest, I hope?" Robards tried to finish the sentence.

Harry flushed. "Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting for a Weasley family dinner."

"But Easter holidays aren't until Sunday!"

"I know, but…. it's my godson's first birthday soon, so we're kind of conflating it all into one big party."

Robards clapped him on the shoulder. "Go enjoy cake and ice cream and Easter eggs, then, lad. I'll get Daphne's release processed and sorted."

"Yes, sir!"

"And Potter?"

Harry turned back.

"The following conversation is private: regarding your advocacy on behalf of decisions regarding Mr. Snape, know that I am considering your proposal. Minerva has stated that she is willing to keep an open mind and reconsider the matter that we discussed." He held up a hand before Harry could speak. "The decision on Snape may still stand after further review, so be warned. But it could also be reversed. Just have patience."

Harry nodded, and waved a quick goodbye to Daphne before hurrying for the lifts.

Harry Apparated onto the Burrow's front lawn in the middle of an Easter egg hunt.

Ginny and Hermione looked breathtaking as they both sported sundresses, though the bodice of Hermione's was covered by a sweater top. Little Teddy was speed-crawling through the grasses, on the hunt for Easter eggs. Smiling, Harry drifted up to his godson.

"Hello there, little chap. What have you got there?"

"Egg! Egg!" Teddy bleated, waving a brightly colored bauble in his godfather's face. "Egg! 'Gain! 'Gain, 'Gain!"

"Again? You want to hunt for more?" Harry grinned more broadly. "OK – go to your Aunt Hermione! She's waving!"

"Hey…." At the sound of his girlfriend's voice, Harry stood up directly into a light kiss from Ginny. "What was the verdict?"

"Cleared on all charges."

Upon hearing the news, shouts of surprise and disbelief went up. The only one who seemed to reserve partisan judgment was Hermione, beaming at her best mate with pride.

"I'm proud of you," she expressed sincerely. "I can't wait until I'm a magic public defender!"

"Last chance to change careers. It's exhausting…. but rewarding," Harry confessed. "Though, Thank Merlin it's the smaller piece of my job pie…."

Still in front of him, Ginny hadn't moved, and her face seemed to be roiling with tightly wound emotions, primarily anger. "Cleared? That…. tramp was seriously declared innocent on all charges?!"

Jogging up to his sister, Ron winced, sensing a rant. "Gin…."

"Who was even on this jury?! Were they qualified?! Were they intelligent?!"

Harry cringed. "I reckon so. The jury selection process was taken quite seriously…."

"So… so that's it? They just let a snake of a Slytherin walk?" Ginny turned back dramatically to the group at large, laughing bitterly. "Well, looks like we all know where Draco Malfoy's going and it isn't a jail cell! All the baby Death Eaters are gonna walk!"

"Hardly," Harry argued. "Every individual case is different. Seamus is putting the screws to Malfoy, I hear; right now, word is his defense is doing all they can just to save him from the death penalty!"

"Good," Ginny snorted. "Do you reckon they'd let a civilian throw the switch?" She didn't notice how Ron and Hermione were both pursing their lips tightly, not so much out of any compassion for Malfoy, but rather at the thought of Ginny embarrassing herself. "I can't imagine who would want to serve on that git's defense…."

Harry chewed on his bottom lip. "Actually…. I've decided that I'm going to publicly support Draco's defense." (Ginny, Ron and Hermione's jaws all dropped). "Just in an informal, unofficial capacity! I won't actually be on the case."

Ginny gaped at her lover, bewildered. "Harry…. if Draco sodding Malfoy isn't guilty, then who ruddy well is?"

"Too right!" Ron grunted.

"I quite agree," Arthur stated firmly, moving between the young people. "But this is neither the time nor the place to be debating such. This is a party! And Mum will soon have supper upon the table. So let's forget all these legal matters and just enjoy ourselves." With a frustrated growl, Ginny turned and stomped petulantly for the house.

Keeping an eye on Teddy in the grass, Harry drifted over to chat up Andromeda; before long, Arthur and Molly quickly joined them.

The Weasley matriarch held a hand to her heart, observing the toddler, whom Audrey was trying to shepherd towards the next egg. "It must be so nice to have a grandchild, mustn't it, Meda?"

"Would you like to share?" Andromeda quibbled, and it took a moment for Harry to realize the old lady wasn't making a joke. Molly stared, eyes glistening. Andromeda just shrugged. "Well, after all, it's always better to have more than one grandparent. And what with my Ted being gone…"

"What about Remus's parents?" Harry wanted to know.

"Oh, Lyall and Hope have been gone for years and years, love." Andromeda smiled at Molly and Arthur. "For them, I can think of no better stand-ins than these two."

Arthur shook her hand, clearly touched. "Bless you, Meda!" Molly, in the meantime, burst into happy tears as she dashed over to speak with Hermione, who was standing in the near distance watching her godson hunt his eggs. Harry ambled along behind, overhearing the two women get into a discussion:

"Why don't you take off your jumper, love….?"

"Molly, I'm fine, truly…."

"But it's close to 80 degrees outside! A bit of sun would do your arms some good!"

Hermione glanced past Molly's shoulder to lock eyes with Harry, her face projecting a cry for help. But before Harry could move in and offer assistance, Hermione stated, "I think I'll keep it on, thanks, if it's all the same to you." Molly eventually left to check on the roast. Harry sidled up to his best mate, the pair contenting themselves in watching their shared godson for a moment.

"Scars?"

Harry needn't elaborate any further; blinking back moisture, Hermione nodded. Wordlessly, Harry pulled into a friendly hug.

"Ron's been such a gentleman, giving me my space. He knows what I need."

Harry bit his lip, resting his head on top of hers. "We don't actually know the exact date you were…." He couldn't bring himself to say the word tortured. "…. Do we?"

"No, but I reckon it was about this time. We escaped to Shell Cottage and then Teddy's birth was announced not long after." Drawing back from him, Hermione swayed onto her tiptoes to platonically kiss his cheek. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Hermione! Look! Teddy's…. Teddy's walking!"

Audrey's call caused the godparents to turn and watch with absolute amazement as Teddy began to take unsteady steps on knobby little legs. Kneeling in the grass so that the skirts of her sundress fanned out like flower petals, Hermione held out her arms to the little boy.

"Come on, Ted! Come to Auntie!"

Teddy took one sure step, two, then a teetering third and fourth that sent him careening into Hermione's waiting arms.

"You did it!" Hermione cooed, lifting Teddy and bouncing him. Harry beamed, shaking his fist exuberantly. Across the lawn, his gaze happened to lock onto Ron, who he could now see was staring at a very maternal Hermione with nothing less than enraptured adoration.

With that, Molly emerged in the midst of the celebration. "Dinner, everybody!" There was a stampede for the door.

Birthday cake was served first, and out of order, much to the birthday boy's (and Ron's) delight. An early Easter dinner soon followed. Glancing about the table, Harry realized that someone was missing.

"Where's George?"

"He owled ahead to say he'd be late," Ron muttered, barely remembering not to talk with his mouth full.

"Well, what a relief to know some of my habits rubbed off on him after all!" Percy cracked, to much laughter.

When George finally did arrive, it was with quite a stir: there, on his arm, was….

"Angelina?"

Angelina Johnson smiled shyly and waved at Harry and the others.

George had an arm across the ex-Gryffindor Chaser's shoulder. "Set an extra place, Mum?"

It seemed to take a moment for Molly to rise out of whatever stupor had suddenly possessed her. "Oh, erm… yes, yes! Of course! Welcome, dear…."

Everyone tried not to watch as George moved to join everyone with a lightness about him not seen in nearly a year; he even gallantly pulled out a chair for Angelina.

"So, Angelina: how long have you and George been seeing each other?" Molly inquired, glancing between the striking dark-skinned witch and her one son knowingly, and looking hopeful.

But before Angelina could open her mouth, someone else answered for her:

"Since last October, at least." Mouth twisting in frustration, Harry bowed his head and worked to control his breathing as all eyes turned to Ginny, who was twirling her fork coolly. "Caught sight of them snogging in Hogsmeade one Saturday week, probably before the frost had even settled over her previous boyfriend's grave!" In her chair, Angelina shifted, head bowed in her lap while looking deeply uncomfortable.

Further down the table, Ron leaned in to whisper to Bill. "Is she drunk? Have we cleared away the goblin wine?"

"Dunno, but I'll help you lock the cabinet."

"I'm not drunk!" Ginny screeched, hearing her brothers anyway.

"Really? I'm more concerned that you're not than I would be if you are," Harry rumbled with mild correctness.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ginny narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend.

"That your tongue is more dangerously loose when it's sober than when it's smashed." A couple of Ooohs percolated the table unbidden.

Ginny rose angrily. "Harry James Potter, don't you dare patronize me….!"

"I'm not….!"

"Yes, you are! Why shouldn't I say what we're all thinking? Since when has a rebound become equivalent to a supposedly serious relationship that's gone on for the past six months?" She glowered hatefully at Angelina. "She can't have Fred, so she's gone for the closest thing!"

"Ginevra Molly!" Arthur barked sharply. "Apologize to your brother and his girlfriend this instant!"

"Gin…." Harry tried to admonish more gently. "I told you, it doesn't matter why George and Angie got together! Shouldn't we be more happy that they are?"

"Not when it isn't entirely clear how and why it came about!" With that, Ginny stalked for the stairs without even asking if she could be excused. After debating with himself for a moment, Harry sheepishly moved to follow her, pausing only to speak softly to Angelina.

"You don't have to explain or justify yourself." He ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Ginny!"

He found her in her room, with her back to him. Harry didn't care how loudly he slammed the door behind him.

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you?! I've never seen you act this petty, in all my life! That was an absolute embarrassment; I was embarrassed for you!"

"I don't care," Ginny muttered softly, hot tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Oh, I daresay you don't," Harry drolled through a bitter laugh, turning away and scoffing. "First you get all on my arse instead of congratulating me for doing my job. My first legal case as an Auror-in-training! I waged a successful defense and you couldn't even bring yourself to be happy for me!"

This seemed to get Ginny. Jerking, she glanced back at Harry with something that might have been shame, even as she muttered, "It would have been easier to be happier for you if you had done something noble."

"And what would that have been, Ginny? Hmm? Letting Daphne Greengrass take her chances in an Azkaban cell for most of her better years?"

Ginny's teeth ground together. "Yes."

Harry eyed her hard. "The jury came back with a not guilty verdict. You need to respect the court's decision. Your family's decision – particularly as it concerns who George wants to be with, irrespective of Fred!"

"I don't care!" Ginny screamed, kicking a chair. "Daphne tortured me and Neville! She went after first years!..."

"….. under coercion from the Carrows, or so the jury found."

Ginny steamed, tears spilling as she glanced down at the floor. "It doesn't matter whether she was coerced or not. She still did it." Harry chose not to argue the point further, in favor of waiting. Finally, Ginny lifted her head, studying him.

"I'm not like you, Harry. I'm not a forgiving person. Sometimes, I marvel at how you can be so forgiving: to your Muggle relatives, to Greengrass, to Snape. It's what I love and hate most about you, because I can't relate to that! I'm notorious for holding a grudge! Sometimes, I've had to be, to advocate for myself against six older, big brothers!" She shook her head. "I just…. don't understand why everything is happening this way. My one brother is dating the ex-girlfriend of his dead twin before the man is even cold in his grave; there are Slytherins play-acting as Death Eaters and then getting off, and everyone just seems fine with this! Like it's normal! Is it so much to ask for some accountability, from people who made awful choices?"

Harry stroked his chin in thought. "No, it wouldn't be too much to ask…. if that was what you were really searching for. Except you aren't. What I think you're really after, Ginny, is revenge."

She staggered back, as though he had just slapped her. She was gazing at him as though she had never seen him before. "What happened to the bloke who would gladly drop everything to beat up Malfoy whenever he so much as spat at our Hermione? When did you become…. so neutral?"

"I think the word you are looking for is fair. Or perhaps forgiving. And it happened at about the time I realized that it was high time to let some things go. There are more important things in this life than nursing trespasses against you." Harry laid a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "This isn't a term people having been using much lately, but they should: we just came out of a civil war, Ginny. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head.

"It means that two factions of the same people turned against each other over ideology…."

"Yeah – with one ideology that was evil…."

"Maybe, but we defeated it. It won't do to act like we're conquerors now. Accountability doesn't require that. I think what is required right now is a little more humility and a lot more forgiveness."

"I will never forgive what those Slytherins and those Death Eaters did to me! To my friends! To my…. brother…." A sob hitched in her throat at the mention of Fred. "You can't ask me to do that, and I won't! Like it or not, Harry, politics and morality have now converged. If anyone ever supported Voldemort and the ideas of pureblood supremacy, they are not a good person in my eyes. I'm sorry – they're just not."

Harry pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I respectfully disagree. But if we want to determine who is right, I think there is a good opportunity in seeing what an acquitted Daphne Greengrass does with her life. It isn't too late to step back from the darkness and return to the light."

"Voldemort didn't."

Harry shook his head. "Tom Riddle didn't want to be saved. Daphne does. She's not looking for absolution; she doesn't expect it. What she is looking for is a second chance. Just like Angelina is looking for a chance. Did it ever occur to you how terrified your old teammate must be? Do you think she isn't acutely aware of how this looks, moving on from Fred so soon with George? I think we all – but especially you – need to keep a much more open mind." He headed for the door, turning back to his girl for one more, pointed look. "The war is over, Gin. It's time to start healing."

And he left her upstairs with that thought.