Author's Notes:
Here's Chapter 151 for you!
It's been a few days, so here's the second half of Vale's trial.
Love, DW
P.S. Enjoy x
A few minutes later, Shacklebolt calls everyone to be quiet so the trial can proceed.
Graham Goldman takes to the floor again, a sterner expression on his face, unsettling Draco. He's had many run-ins with this lawyer over the past few years. Despite Goldman not succeeding in sending Draco to Azkaban, like his father, they had reached an agreement since he helped put twenty-one other Death Eaters away.
"Good morning, Mr Malfoy," Goldman greets him.
"Good morning, sir," Draco politely replies.
"How are you this morning?"
Draco glances at Theo, who gently nods for him to answer.
"All things considered, I'm happy to be here."
"What do you mean by 'all things considered'?" Goldman asks, looking at him for the first time.
"Well, we've had a lot going on at work this year so far that has caused quite a bit of stress. Then, on top of all that, I've had this trial to prepare for, which has been difficult, but it's nothing new. I think this is the twenty-third case I've testified in," Draco admits.
"You would be correct. Over the past three years, you've proved to be a great asset to my law firm regarding Death Eaters," Goldman agrees.
"Thank you, sir."
"At your father's trial, you told me you only wanted to testify against him to protect your mother, correct?"
"As the war raged on, my father's fear of the-" Draco pauses. "His fear of You-Know-Who developed into insanity, which made him more dangerous. It was my father who offered up our home to the Death Eaters. He brought that man into the only place my mother and I felt safe. I saw how sick my mother grew with fear and knew I would protect her from my father when given the opportunity."
"Why did you then choose to testify against so many Death Eaters?"
"I'm the first to admit that I'm a selfish man. I didn't testify against them for the good of the world. I needed something from the Minister and knew he would only agree if I had something to give him in return," Draco answers truthfully.
"Objection," the Chief Warlock calls out.
"That's not your decision, sir," Goldman states, then moves on. "What was it you want from the Minister?"
"Access to the Department of Registration's Archives."
"Did you receive the access?"
Draco smiles. "Did I testify in those twenty-one trials?"
Goldman chuckles, "You did. What were you looking for in the archives?"
"That information is private."
"You are under oath to tell the truth," Goldman reminds him.
"I didn't lie."
"Mr Malfoy, it sounds like you have something to hide."
"I do have something to hide."
"Well, that's suspicious. I'm sure it's in your best interest to let the Wizengamot know your reasoning for wanting access to our Ministerial Archives," Goldman pushes.
This topic had not come up while he was preparing for the trial with Theo. Draco stares up at his wife, silently asking for her permission. Reluctantly, she nods her head.
Draco sighs, hoping Sophie and her friends aren't listening to the trial proceedings on the radio. "My wife's uncle had been conducting research on his family tree. I had taken a look and recognised a name similar to someone from the wizarding world. The name was the mother of his child, who had abandoned them when their child was two weeks old. My wife was reluctant to believe they were the same person, so I required access to the Archives to check if this woman was the mother of my wife's cousin."
"Was she?"
"Yes, she was."
"Why are you refusing to use names?"
"Well, my wife's cousin is at Hogwarts and doesn't want any of her classmates to know she is related to myself and my wife, and we are respecting her wishes," Draco explains.
"Mr Malfoy, testifying against twenty-one Death Eaters just to find the mother of a girl you're not related to is a lot of work. Are you sure there wasn't an ulterior motive?" Goldman asks.
"As you are all aware, Hermione and I did not choose to get married; that was forced upon us. However, in time, we grew closer, becoming friends before we admitted we loved each other. My wife's family had all accepted me, and I wanted to help her find this woman who had abandoned Hermione's uncle and cousin," Draco pauses to take a deep breath. "Although, not long after our access was granted, my mother accidentally let slip a family secret that I also needed to investigate."
"Care to elaborate?"
Draco sighs, "I don't have much of a choice. I discovered in the archives that my paternal grandparents had a son before my father was born. They eventually realised their eldest son was a squib and abandoned him in London, claiming he had died. I needed to find my uncle, so I returned to the archives."
"Why did you want to find your squib uncle?"
"I had willingly lost my father to Azkaban, and my mother had turned her back on me for doing so. I was desperate for a family and hoped my uncle would accept me after my parents hadn't. I didn't care that he was a squib, just that he was family," Draco admits.
Goldman takes a moment for the courtroom to sympathise with him, but it is not long before they realise who they're sympathising for.
"Did you find your uncle?"
"I did."
"Did he accept you?"
Draco smiles. "He did. I found a family in my uncle. I had five cousins, and four of them had children. We've been on holiday together, we spend Christmas Eve together, and I named my son after him."
"Scorpius?"
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," Draco beams, mentioning his son.
"Do you still have access to the Archives?"
"No, we gave that up a while ago. We no longer had any need for the access, which was causing Mr Vyner, the Head of the Department of Registrations, a lot of stress," Draco admits.
"Let's move on; when did you first realise there was a new leader of the Death Eaters?"
"It was May 2000, the weekend my wife and I went on holiday with my uncle and his family. A Death Eater approached my wife and gave her a congratulations card from the Dark Lord. He congratulated us on our pregnancy, which we had not announced to the world yet. It proved to me that there was a new Dark Lord, and they were organised if they could get medical information from St. Mugno's. I assume they used Simon Slater to do that," Draco explains.
"How do you know Simon Slater?"
"He was one of the junior healers at St Mungo's when Scorpius was born."
"Tell me about your family, Mr Malfoy," Goldman asks, toning the conversation down a little.
Draco's face grows softer. "My family means everything to me. After the war, I had given up on all thoughts of ever getting married and having a family. My only dream was to open an apothecary and become a potions master."
"Why didn't you?"
"I applied to apothecaries throughout Europe and the Americas, but at the announcement of The Marriage Decree, I started applying within Britain, as I knew I would have to remain here for two years, or until my first child was born. No one in Britain would take a chance on me, which is completely understandable. I'm eternally grateful to Minerva McGonagall for allowing me to prove myself," he states.
"Is being a professor at Hogwarts your new dream?"
Draco shakes his head. "My new dream is to protect my wife and children. Despite his motives and methods, the Minister has gifted me something precious, and I will never take my family for granted."
Draco sees Hermione beaming with pride in the crowd, so he has to look away so as not to blush like an innocent schoolboy.
"In Mr Potter's statement, he told us that you have provided him with information on the old Death Eater movement. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is true."
"What information have you provided?"
"As I've said, by the end of the war, You-Know-Who was living at Malfoy Manor, so I had a lot of insight into how he ran the Death Eaters. Whilst the Death Eaters were in public, wearing their masks and cloaks to hide their identity was customary. However, You-Know-Who would require Death Eaters to remove their masks for the exact opposite reason during meetings. He wanted everyone to know each other. There's safety in anonymity, and he didn't want us to feel safe. He wanted us to fear each other and, above all else, him."
"And that is different to the new movement?"
"Mr Potter has informed me that these new Death Eaters must wear their masks whether in public or meeting."
"How did Mr Potter come about this information?"
"Through his many conversations and interrogations with arrested Death Eaters."
Goldman nods. "Do you have any more information?"
"Yes, through the Prophecy made on my son, we learned that the Death Eaters now have a code name to identify each Death Eater and their role. For instance, Junior Healer Simon Slater's code name was Cura, Latin for care. I also suspected that Corban Yaxley is now using the code name Excipio, Latin for 'I welcome'; in the old movement, Yaxley would welcome new recruits. You-Know-Who would introduce them as having been welcomed by Yaxley," Draco explains.
A quick scratching of quill on parchments tells Draco this was new information for many of the Wizengamot.
"Do you know of any other codenames?"
"A few; from the Prophecy, we can gather there are Picus, Cotidio and Adruo," Draco states. "Mr Potter informed me of other codenames that became apparent after he arrested Mr Vale. A Ferio, Caedo, Initio and Pavor. While I have researched the Latin on these names, we've only been able to link Pavor and Ferio to Adrian Avery and Thorfinn Rowle. Mr Potter and I have not been able to link any other names with any Death Eater from the old movement or any person suspected of being a part of the new movement."
"How does it feel to help Mr Potter's investigation?"
Draco pauses, as instructed, to formulate his answer. "I'm very aware that I caused much pain and terror during the war. I know I said I'm selfish, but I have been trying to right those wrongs. I initially didn't want to testify against other Death Eaters because I was focusing on my NEWTs, and then I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to Hermione. I'm a pureblood; I grew up with old morals and felt the need to protect my wife from the Death Eaters. Working with Mr Potter has allowed me to use all my knowledge of the Death Eaters to help put them away without showing my face and putting my family in danger. It's a win/win situation for me."
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy. I have no further questions for you."
As Goldman takes his seat, Glask approaches, and Draco feels immediately on edge.
"Mr Malfoy, you admit to being guilty of pain and terror during the war, and yet you served no time for these crimes?"
"I was sentenced to ten weeks of community service and to return to Hogwarts for my NEWTs," Draco clarifies.
Glask scoffs, "The punishment doesn't exactly fit the crime here, does it?"
"I agree. I was fully prepared to rot away in Azkaban with my father, but I'm thankful I was given a second opportunity. I believe I've turned my life around and tried hard to be a better influence on the world. Especially as a professor at Hogwarts," Draco admits.
"Why did Mr Potter testify for you at your trial?"
"I've not asked him, sir," Draco says.
"Hazard a guess."
"I'd rather not assume whilst under oath. It might be taken as truth," Draco states.
Marshall Glask's jaw hardens, and Draco thinks that might have been his plan.
"Were you a Death Eater under Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes," Draco answers simply. There was no sugarcoating it.
"Are you a Death Eater now?"
"No."
"Show us your forearm then."
Draco frowns, confused by the request. "You are aware that the Dark Mark is a tattoo. Whilst it was made with magic that bonded us to You-Know-Who, it will never disappear. As you can see," Draco unbuttons his sleeve and pulls it up to his elbow. "It has faded considerably."
Many Wizengamot leans over to get a better look as whispers break out throughout the room. A few of them make notes as Mr Glask continues.
"Tell me about your relationship with Mr Potter?"
"Mr Potter and I have become friends over the past few years. He is the godfather of my son. I do not take that lightly, so you can be assured that I trust Mr Potter with my son's life," Draco explains.
"Are you the godfather of his son?"
"No, I am not. Friendship isn't about doing things so you can get the same in return. It's about doing those things because you want to do them. I wanted my son to have a good role model, and who better than Mr Potter," Draco adds.
"Why didn't you choose one of your school friends?"
"All my friends have enough going on in their own lives; I didn't want to add the pressure of being responsible for another child if something were to happen to myself or Hermione." Draco admits, "Especially since that risk has increased with the rise of the new Death Eater Movement," Draco admits.
"Why would the New Movement target you and Ms Granger?" Glask asks.
"A firm Death Eater belief is that once you're a Death Eater, you're always a Death Eater. I suspect the new movement leader isn't too pleased that I turned my back on them during the war, and I'm now happily living my life with a beautiful family, a great job and in general happiness."
"You think that's enough for them to want to kill you both?"
Draco chuckles, shaking his head. "Aren't you the lawyer famous for defending Death Eaters? I'd have thought you'd know that Death Eaters never need a reason to kill and have killed for much less than simply hating their victim."
"Let's talk about the first of December 2000, the night Tabitha Penn was murdered. You were the one to identify her body, correct?"
"Yes, I did. Not long after my son was born, she came to me in September to ask questions about the Prophecy. She ended up divulging more information than the Daily Prophet later published. I fear it is for this reason that she was murdered," Draco theorises.
"Is that why you killed her?" Mr Glask asks.
Draco isn't sure he heard him correctly at first. "What? I did no such thing. I have never killed anybody."
"Isn't that why you were such a disappointment to your Death Eater father and your Dark Lord? You couldn't kill Albus Dumbledore, could you?"
Draco remains silent, not having anything pleasant or productive to say.
"You were forced to marry Ms Granger and have a child with her. You've never loved her or your son. You said so yourself: you're a pureblood; how could you ever love or accept a half-blood child. However, your mother has turned her back on you for locking her husband in Azkaban, so you're stuck with the family you were given. After all, a family you hate is better than being alone. Then you realise the only time you've felt truly accepted is when you were working for the Dark Lord as a Death Eater, so you decide to kill the girl who told too much in the hopes of getting invited back into the movement," Mr Glask finishes.
Draco leans forward in his chair. "That is one of the most convoluted stories I've ever heard. It was full of plot holes and doesn't consider any of the information I gave you under oath. You are aware I cannot lie under oath, right?"
As Mr Glask's jaw tightens, Draco's sure he heard a crack.
"The only people not under oath in this trial are the lawyers. You come out here with insane accusations, hoping you'll confound the Wizengamot into forgetting the evidence they've already heard. You, Mr Glask, are a disgrace to the Wizengamot and a disgusting human being." Draco sits back in his chair, done with this man.
"I have no further questions for Mr Malfoy," Mr Glask states.
"As I thought," Draco raises, leaving the stand as the Chief Warlock calls for a five-minute break.
Theo catches Draco before he can return to his seat.
"Okay, that wasn't terrible, and you raised some good points, but we shouldn't really bring Mr Glask's character into question. He's been working here longer than nearly everyone on the Wizengamot, and that level of seniority comes with respect," Theo warns.
"That's bullshit."
"Of course, it's bullshit, but that's how the Ministry works. Now, go sit down before you cause more trouble."
Draco knows his friend is teasing him, so he childishly rolls his eyes as he turns to leave.
Hermione greets him with a giant hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm so proud of you," she tells him, pressing another kiss to his other cheek.
"I might have made a mess of things," Draco admits.
"No, Goldman knows what he's doing," Hermione assures him.
"Vale's up next. Once they're finished with him, we'll have a break so the Wizengamot can deliberate on their verdict," Hermione reminds him.
During the break, Alphard Vale is removed from his caged cell and placed on the stand, ready to be questioned.
"This is going to shit," Harry mutters.
"Sit up and look confident," Hermione orders him.
Sighing, he does as he's told, straightening his posture and glancing across at the Wizengamot with an expression of pure innocence across his face.
"So they're trying to pin everything on the Harry Potter," Draco says quietly.
"Do you have to use my name like that?"
Draco laughs, "Sorry, we're just such good friends. I thought you'd let me off."
"Fuck off," Harry mutters, but there's no anger behind the words.
"It's going to be fine," Hermione assures them.
"I'm certainly interested to hear Vale's statement now," Draco claims.
Marshall Glask stands once the crowd has quietened down. Despite the chains around his wrists and ankles, his client sits tall, looking innocent.
"Mr Alphard Vale, when did you graduate from Hogwarts?"
"I graduated in 1977."
"In the middle of the first wizarding war?"
"Yes, sir."
"Why did you decide to become an auror?"
"The war started whilst I was at Hogwarts, and I felt helpless. I wanted to join the fight but knew realistically I was too young and inexperienced, so I worked hard to achieve my best grades to get onto the Auror Training Programme. I didn't want to get myself killed on the front lines, I wanted to be the person helping to lock the Death Eaters away for life."
"In my opening statement, I told the Wizengamot how you quickly rose through the ranks. Tell me about your promotions."
Alphard Vale smiles. "I graduated from the ATP in 1978 and was an Auror for five years. I was then promoted to Lead Auror, where I was given my own team in 1983. I became a Senior Auror in 1987, then Deputy Head Auror in 1994. When the second wizarding war broke out, and the Ministry was overthrown in 1996, I went underground with a team of my most trusted Aurors and worked hard to track down Death Eaters and provide The Order of the Phoenix with information. Once the war ended, I resumed my role as Deputy Head Auror under Minister Shacklebolt. However, a few months later, I was promoted to Head Auror since the previous one had been killed."
"Were you an official member of The Order of the Phoenix?" Glask asks.
"No, The Order was an elite group of wizards whom Professor Dumbledore had selected during the first wizarding war. Many of their children had joined during the second wizarding war, but they weren't too trusting of outsiders, even those who brought them helpful information," Vale explains.
"When did you first suspect Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy of being Death Eaters?"
"The night Tabitha Penn was murdered. Mr Potter had taken charge quickly, and Mr Malfoy had no reason to be poking his nose into the business of Aurors. When he identified the body, I was immediately suspicious."
"Where you at the Diagon Alley's light switch on?"
"I had been to speak to the Minister and hung around for ten minutes, but I had returned to my office before the attack broke out."
"What were your thoughts when Mr Potter first came to you about a mole within the Ministry and then claimed the mole was within your own department?"
"Thousands of people work within the Ministry, so I wasn't too surprised. Statistically, there was bound to be a mole somewhere, but Mr Potter didn't have any evidence, only an escaped Death Eater, which I now believe was Mr Potter's doing. However, when he came and told me he believed the mole was an Auror, I was offended that he thought I wouldn't have suspected as much myself. I'm the Head of the Auror Department; I keep my department under control. Once I calmed down, I understood that Mr Potter was still young and probably wanted to prove himself, so I allowed him to investigate, to get it out of his system, and made up something about doing it at night so the 'culprit' wouldn't catch on. I just didn't want him to be embarrassed when he came up empty-handed."
"But he didn't come up empty-handed, did he?"
"No, I was completely shocked when Mr Potter came to me with evidence of missing case files, evidence and witness statements. I read his notes, and it became apparent that Mr Potter was tampering with evidence. I wasn't sure why until he started spouting about Death Eaters. After the murder of Tabitha Penn, I was convinced but still didn't have any evidence of his crimes. I kept a close eye on him during our fake investigations, but I needed him closer to protect the public. The meeting Mr Malfoy and Ms Granger interrupted had been important; I was already going to offer him a place on the management training course so I could be his mentor again and watch his every move. Instead, I followed Mr Potter to Wales to investigate a suspected Death Eater meeting place. He was going with or without me, so it made sense for me to agree to send a team with him. While Mr Potter believes we split up on the main street, I followed him, keeping my distance. When the Auror's call was given, I stayed behind to question the manager of that pub on what Mr Potter had discussed with him. I found him in a bad way. I assume Mr Potter obliviated the poor muggle to forget about the Death Eaters meetings. I took the manager to his office and locked him in there while I attended to the B team. Mr Potter had taken charge, of course. He takes any opportunity to show off. I ordered the B team to return to the department and write up their reports. Once they had all gone, I returned to the pub and used my knowledge of first aid to help the manager. It worked somewhat, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mr Potter caused the man to develop early onset dementia."
"What happened when you returned to the department?"
"I told Mr Potter that I needed to see him in my office before he left for the night. Half an hour later, he knocked on my door with his case file. I praised his work today, giving him the attention he clearly craves, and then asked about his interest in the management training course. When he declined, I was worried about the future of my career. Mr Harry Potter is the golden child in the Minister's eyes and can do no wrong. He no longer wanted my attention; otherwise, he would have accepted the training course. He'd moved on to the Minister. I knew I wouldn't fare well if I took my suspicions to the Minister. Who would he believe, me or the Saviour. I could only wait for the day I would be called into the Minister's office."
"Did you keep an eye on Mr Potter?"
"I did. I set traps for him to fall into, where I could catch him sympathising with a Death Eater, but he never fell into them until the night of their second-anniversary dinner. I tasked Mr Potter with taking the last Death Eater down to holding. I waited for him to return so I could check if he had failed my test, but when he didn't return within two hours, I assumed something had gone wrong and rushed to the holding cells to find one of the Death Eaters was gone. Before I could call for backup, I was hit by stupefy, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the Minister's private holding cells," Alphard Vale spines his tale.
"Thank you for recounting the events, Mr Vale. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you."
"It wasn't easy, thank you."
"I have no further questions." Marshall Glask returns to his desk, a smug smile taunting Harry in the crowd before softening as he turns back to the Wizengamot.
The Wizengamot need a few minutes to process everything they just heard, so Graham Goldman waits before beginning his cross-examination. Once the crowds have quietened down, Goldman stands.
"Mr Alphard Vale, for many years, we worked together to put Death Eaters away in Azkaban. Is that correct?"
Vale leans forward in his seat as far as the chains allow him. "That is correct, Graham."
"Yet, when your case file ended up on my desk, I wasn't surprised; why was that, Alphard?"
"I don't know, Graham."
"I'll tell you why," Goldman says, turning to face the Wizengamot instead. "I've worked through both wizarding wars, prosecuting Death Eater lowlifes and sending them to Azkaban for a combined three-hundred and forty-two years and counting. There are only four types of Death Eaters, and I've met them all. The angry, aggressive ones who like to kill for the fun of it, such as Antonin Dolohov. The loud, intelligent ones who like to torture, such as Bellatrix Lestrange. The poised, rich ones who like their status, such as Lucius Malfoy. Finally, we have the quiet, confident ones who like power, such as Pyrites. Do you know which one you are, Alphard Vale?"
"No, why don't you tell me, Graham?"
"You're the quiet, confident kind. You bide your time waiting for the perfect time to strike with your venom, by which time it's too late; your victims can't escape. You're dangerous, Alphard Vale."
"I've never killed anyone," Alphard states.
"Did I ask you if you had?"
"You said I was venomous, and my victims can't escape."
"It was simply an analogy, Vale," Goldman laughs. "You're certainly not the intelligent kind of Death Eater. No wonder Heres only has you releasing Death Eaters. Is that why you were recruited, for the sole purpose of releasing the more important members of the New Movement?"
"I am not a Death Eater."
Goldman ignores him. "It must have been easy for you. No one would ever suspect the Head of the Auror Department of being a Death Eater."
"I am not a Death Eater."
"The Auror Department has much power over other departments, too. All you had to do was ask, and I'm sure any other department would give you their resources to help you in case. Is that how you managed to sneak the first two Death Eaters out of holding? You tell the Ministry Officials they're needed for questioning, and then you don't take them back. You obliviate the officials and when they bring you the signing sheet at the end of their shift, you dispose of it or forge a new copy before filing them. With no watching you in your office, your job was easy."
"My job is not easy."
"You need to keep Mr Potter close, and that was just too easy, wasn't it? You keep him close enough to be privy to his thoughts but not close enough that he's suspicious of you. That's why you meet at night, so no one can witness your meetings and question their purpose. After all, the fewer people who know, the easier it is to keep your plans close to your chest. This has been going on for months, and Mr Potter is none the wiser that the person he's searching for is his own boss. Maybe you became too cocky, you made a mistake, and now Tabitha is dead. Witnesses place you in Diagon Alley at the time of the attack. It's okay, though; she's from the United States, and not many people in Britain know who she is; you can sweep this under the carpet and move on. Then Mr Malfoy identifies her body as an Auror. Your job is no longer easy. You've got to investigate her death and question Mr Malfoy, which is when it comes to you. Mr Malfoy used to be a Death Eater; perhaps you could paint him to be one again. No, that wouldn't work; there's no way Mr Malfoy could get to where you've been to destroy evidence, case files, and witness statements. He would need someone on the inside, but no Auror would ever help Mr Malfoy besides the Auror who testified for him at his trial and his best friends with his wife. If you could fake the evidence, you could get Mr Potter off your back and lock up Mr Malfoy, the one who got away. Your plan was all coming together, and with your access to everywhere, it would be easy enough to fake the evidence you needed," Goldman pauses, needing to let the evidence sink into the minds of the Wizengamot. He also needs to catch his breath. This was one of the most complex trials he's worked on in a long time.
"That's quite the journey you're taking yourself on, Mr Goldman," Alphard Vale sneers. Clearly, something is getting on his nerves.
"I'm not finished. The night Mr Malfoy burst into your meeting and claimed to know where the Death Eaters were meeting, you weren't phased; after all, as a Death Eater, you knew the meeting location had already been moved to the coast of France."
"I am not a-" Vale stops, his eyes twitching as understanding dawns on him. "The Auror Department does not know the location of the Death Eater meetings."
"How would you know, Mr Vale? You've been out of the loop for five months," Goldman antagonises him. "You might think the Auror Department revolves around you, but they've been getting on fine without you. Ms Earle is acting Head Auror, and I have it under good authority that she is doing a fine job. The Minister hopes to make the position permanent after today."
Alphard Vale's head whips to face the Minister, who keeps his expressions stern, not giving anything away.
"I am not a Death Eater."
"You keep saying that. My associate here, Mr Nott, believes that Death Eaters of the New Movement don't take the Dark Mark, so when questioned under oath, you can truthfully claim not to be a Death Eater." Goldman faces Theo, drawing the Wizengamot's attention to his associate lawyer. "Is he right?"
On the stand, Vale is seething as he realises the trial is slipping from his fingers.
"Of course, I don't expect you to answer that one. Back to Beddgelert, as Mr Potter said, it was normal enough for Aurors to investigate independently, but I believe you followed him as he questioned the locals. After the Auror's call, Mr Potter apparated away, and you waited. You needed Mr Potter to take charge of the investigation as an excuse to call him into your office afterwards for a debrief. When you finally arrived, Mr Potter told you about all the evidence, including his witness. You sent all of B team back to the Ministry, then went to pay the muggle witness a visit. By this point, I'm sure you have no qualms about obliviating people, especially those vulnerable to magic. It's an easy enough spell to learn, but manipulating it to erase certain memories takes some training."
By now, most of the crowd are on the edge of their seat, watching as Mr Alphard Vale twitches from his inability to deny the claims. Hermione is holding the hands of both Draco and Harry, needing to keep them and herself calm.
"I don't think you ever found out that Mr Potter returned to Beddgelert. I think you're only just finding out about it. So you had tried to keep a low profile, and you managed to do so until the second-anniversary dinner. Heres informed you beforehand of the attack and that if Ferio is arrested, to set him free. Heres has given you countless of these tasks before, and this one isn't any different. You know Mr Potter is suspicious, but you don't suspect he's suspicious of you, and you'd like to keep it that way and stick to your plan of framing Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy for your crimes. However, Mr Potter doesn't show up to the dinner. Not a worry; Mr Potter still has his job to do. You send him down to the holding cells with one of the Death Eaters and wait. It isn't exactly hard work, Heres never gives you hard tasks. He probably doesn't think you can handle it. You did manage to mess up this simple task and get yourself arrested, after all."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Vale snaps. "Heres trusts me with far more than you realise. None of my tasks have been easy. I have ears everywhere, and I know Mr Potter, the golden boy, has reinstated The Order of the Phoenix and has initiated new members throughout the Ministry. I had no way of knowing who was safe and who was with the Order. I had to be careful with every step I took and every task I completed. It was exhausting, constantly watching your back and having Potter right there, watching my every move, but I managed to evade him, didn't I? For two years, I evaded all of you. Biding my time until I was called upon to act. I'm part of the inner circle now. If you think Heres will let me rot away in Azkaban, you've got another thing coming. He's planning to free us all and burt Azkaban to the ground."
The Wizengamot and the crowd were shocked until the Minister of Magic rose from his seat, looking flustered.
"Aurors, take him to my private holding cells. I want him out of here," he orders.
Whispers turn to full-blow chatter as the crowd discusses what in Merlin's name just happened.
"Silence!" The Chief Warlock bellows, drawing everyone's attention. "The Wizengamot will retire for deliberations in our chamber. You are to remain in the courtroom if you are under oath. Those not under oath are free to leave."
Row by row and one by one, the members of the Wizengamot take their leaves up the spiral staircase into their chambers. The chatter starts back up as soon as the heavy wooden door closes behind them.
Hermione is still gripping Draco and Harry, leaving indentations from her nails on their hands.
"What the fuck just happened?" Ivan Peters questions in disbelief.
"Not a clue," Harry mutters.
"I thought you were toast, mate," Noah Blackwood adds.
"So did I. I thought I would never see my children or wife again."
"I was planning my escape," Draco admits. "I don't think I would have gotten very far."
Hermione wraps her arms around Draco's neck, holding him tight as she begins to sob.
"I can't lose you," she mutters.
"You're not going to lose me," he reassures her.
"I nearly did."
"We're fine."
"We need to stick to our decision to step down. I'm going to call a meeting next weekend," Hermione tells him.
"Okay, okay," he shushes to calm her down as he strokes her hair.
Over her head, Harry mouths to Draco, 'Is she alright?' to which he nods in reply. At the end of the day, they would be alright because Vale would be sentenced to Azkaban, hopefully for a very long time, and that's one more Death Eater locked up.
Unfortunately, Vale had raised an interesting point in his statement. Statistically, there was bound to be at least one Death Eater mole within the Ministry. They have Vale now, but who's to say there isn't another one or even five or ten more. They'll have to have a serious conversation with the Ministry members of The Order to ensure they're remaining vigilant and not letting suspicions pass them by because they think they know someone well enough. Harry had thought he could trust his own boss for a while, but that had turned out to be incorrect. However, they don't want everyone turning on each other and accusing everyone who crosses them; it would give away their true purpose, and taking down Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt was a bigger priority than taking down Death Eaters right now. After all, he had actual power that affected the whole country. Once he was dealt with, they could go after Heres and the New Death Eater Movement.
The Wizengamot took eighty minutes to deliberate and come to their verdict. After half an hour, the crowd in the courtroom thought it was already taking too long. Alphard Vale had confessed spectacularly, so what was there to deliberate over.
Hermione assumes they were arguing over the length of the sentence. They needed to make an example out of him for being a death eater and a traitorous Auror. The Ministry certainly wasn't going to let him off lightly, but there was no evidence that Vale had killed anyone, and he's sworn under oath that he hadn't. That in itself would bring a lesser charge.
Therefore, when the Wizengamot began filing back into the courtroom, and Chief Warlock Kingsley Shacklebolt took his place at his podium, the whole room fell silent, awaiting the announcement. After his outburst, Vale was not allowed to reenter the room for his sentencing, but the microphone being used to broadcast the trial across the radio, would send Shacklebolt's voice down into the holding cells.
"I, Kingsley Shacklebolt, as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, hereby sentence Mr Alphard Vale to fifty-three years in Azkaban. This sentence includes twenty years for associating with Death Eaters, three years for every Death Eater you allowed to escape - totalling eighteen years, ten years for the destruction of evidence and case files, and five years for conducting magic in front of and on a muggle."
As Chief Warlock brings his gavel down upon his podium, the courtroom erupts into cheers and shouts in celebration, which files out into the corridor. Now the trial is over, they are free to leave, which everyone is glad about, especially those under oath.
Draco pulls Hermione through the crowd by her hand until they reach the foyer, where they stand with Harry.
"A great result, right?" Draco states.
"Couldn't have asked for better?" Harry yawns.
With the stress and preparation of the trail, Harry hasn't been able to sleep properly in months.
"All I want to do is go home and sleep," Harry admits, removing his glasses to rub his eyes.
"Then do it; the trial is over," Hermione tells him.
Harry shakes his head. "The Minister will probably want a debrief."
"Then he can wait until tomorrow morning. Go home, Harry." Hermione urges him. "Go be with Ginny and your children."
Harry nods, making his mind up. "You're right. He can send me an owl if he wants."
Together, the trio head down to the floo floor, where many people eagerly await a spare fireplace to take them home. With one less hug goodbye, Harry leaves them for Grimmauld Place. Hermione and Draco hold each other's hands while they wait for their own fireplace and prepare themselves for the barrage of questions they will no doubt get from Ron and Pansy when they return home.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you so much for reading.
Please FAVOURITE, FOLLOW and REVIEW.