"I'm wanting to testify at Umbridge's trial."
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
After Sunday dinner, the family was dispersed throughout the house. Ginny was with Andromeda, Teddy, Hermione, George, Fleur, and Molly in the living room. Arthur, Ron, Percy, Bill, and Harry stayed in the kitchen. Everyone in the living room was, as was to be expected, fawning over Teddy, who was giggling every time he changed his hair colour to match whoever was holding him. Harry smiled hearing it, eager to join the crowd in there shortly.
"Do you think I could come with the two of you to the Ministry tomorrow?" Harry asked Arthur and Percy. Everyone around the table seemed surprised by that, but Arthur nodded.
"We can definitely take you. What are you going to the Ministry for?"
"I need to talk to Kingsley," Harry answered, and Percy looked at him.
"You don't have an appointment," he said, not bothering to hide his questioning disapproval. Of course, he'd know that Harry didn't have an appointment. Kingsley had allowed Percy to remain on his staff as his assistant, which Harry thought to be pretty generous.
He shrugged. "Nope, I don't. But Kingsley and I are friends, and he usually seems to be interested in talking to me." Percy reddened, although he still had a disapproving look about him. Harry usually wouldn't try and brag about his status with the Minister because it truly didn't make much of a difference to him, but Percy was very regimented when it came to things like appointments and schedules, and this was just an easier way to get the point across.
Next to him, Bill chuckled. "I've gotta say, Harry, you sure do a good job of using your influence when you need to." Harry grinned unabashedly because he wasn't wrong. It didn't matter to him at all, but when it was useful, it was nice to have.
"What are you going to see Kingsley about?" Ron asked.
"I want to talk to him about a couple of the trials and give a private testimony if he'll let me," Harry answered.
"For who… oh no. Harry, don't you dare tell me you're going to defend that ferret," Ron said testily.
Harry shrugged. "I'm not gonna defend him or anyone. I just want to make sure the Wizengamot has the full story before they make their sentences." Ron rolled his eyes, apparently not satisfied with that answer, but Harry didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Now, I have to go save my godson from all the fawning women of the house… and George," he said with a grin, entering the living room to see what Teddy was up to.
That night, after Andi and Teddy had left, Harry and Ginny lay in bed together. Harry was absently playing with her hair while they talked idly about their plans for the week. Casually, Harry mentioned, "So… I'm gonna go into the Ministry tomorrow and give Kingsley my testimony for Draco and Narcissa."
Ginny raised an eyebrow and shifted so she was looking directly at him. "That's good. I don't think you'd feel right if you didn't give your side of the story." Harry nodded, agreeing with her. It'd been weighing on him for a while, and he knew he'd feel better, regardless of what their sentences ended up being, because he testified.
"Are you still planning on testifying at Umbridge's trial?" she asked a moment later.
He nodded. "They need to know exactly what she did." He felt Ginny take his hand, running her thumb along the scars left by Umbridge's quill, but she didn't say anything else. "Do you wanna meet me afterwards? We can go on another date," Harry offered excitedly, and Ginny immediately grinned and nodded.
"Why don't I just come with you? I'll wait for you to finish talking to Kingsley and then we can just go as soon as you're done," she suggested.
Harry nodded with a smile. "That sounds great, but are you sure you can get up that early?" he asked teasingly.
She rolled her eyes but kept smiling at him. "I will if someone will let me go to sleep," she teased back, and Harry laughed before burying his face between her neck and shoulder, taking the invitation to keep her awake far later than they should've been considering the early morning that awaited them.
That morning came much faster than either of them were ready for. Harry did his best to get out of bed normally, but he was still yawning, and Ginny was glaring at him as she pulled herself out of bed behind him. "This is your fault," she growled, yawning widely for emphasis.
Harry chuckled and kissed her cheek, which still managed to make her smile a little. "I love you, Blaze," he called sweetly as he started walking out the room.
He laughed again, hearing her grumble "Love you too" as he walked upstairs to change. When he snuck into Ron's room, he had an epiphany, seeing Ron and Hermione in bed together. He hadn't slept a night in here since they moved back to the Burrow over a month ago, so why were his clothes still up here? He changed quickly before levitating his pile of clothes down to Ginny's room, where she'd just finished changing.
She looked at him curiously as he brought everything into the room. "What's all this?" she asked, smiling slightly at the large pile of clothes that was bobbing up and down in the air.
"I was just thinking that it didn't make a lot of sense to keep my stuff in Ron's room when I'm staying in here," Harry answered, looking for a spot to set his stuff down.
"Oh, so you're just officially moving in now?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips, and Harry blinked, realising the implications of that.
"Oh– um, sorry. I should've asked, I just thought–" he was interrupted by Ginny laughing at him.
"Merlin, Harry, it's too easy to mess with you. You've been moved in here since we got back, and I'm more than happy to make it official," she said, grinning at him and seeming much more awake than she did when they'd first gotten out of bed. Harry smiled at her, setting his clothes in the corner and making a mental note to clean that up later. He was too preoccupied with kissing Ginny to worry about it right now.
They finally made their way downstairs a short while later, now very awake and alert. Arthur and Percy were waiting for them, and they all apparated to the entrance to the Ministry. Arthur took them to the guest entrance inside the decrepit telephone booth, and Harry realised that Arthur probably didn't know that he was familiar with the regular entrance too.
After they dialled the code, an invisible woman asked them to state their name and business. Arthur and Percy introduced themselves, then Harry said, "Harry Potter, here to see the Minister."
Ginny added, "Ginny Weasley, accompanying Harry Potter."
There was a click and a rattle, and two visitor badges slid out of the phone's coin slots. Harry picked them up, keeping the one that said Harry Potter, Visiting the Minister, and giving the one that said Ginny Weasley, Accompanying Harry Potter to Ginny. They pinned them to their shirts as the floor began sinking deep into the ground. After about a minute, it finally stopped, and they stepped out into the atrium of the Ministry for Magic.
Harry was no longer awed by the splendour of the Ministry like he was on his first visit. He'd seen too many terrible things happen here to ever feel that sense of wonder again. He did notice though that the Ministry was slightly less busy than he remembered it being in his previous visits, and he was pleased to see that the Magic is Might statue had been removed. Nothing had replaced it yet, but even nothing was an upgrade over what had been there.
Arthur walked Harry and Ginny through the wand check process– Ginny hadn't ever visited the Ministry like this before. After a moment of profuse thanks from Eric, the wand clerk, they were able to make it through the checkpoint and into a lift, and luckily, they were the only ones on it.
Arthur stepped off at level two, Magical Law Enforcement. "I'll see the three of you tonight," he said before the grates closed again and they shot up to level one, the offices for the Minister for Magic. Percy led the way down a corridor after stepping off the lift. There was absolutely no activity on this floor that Harry could see. He supposed there could be people in offices, considering how many they passed as they were walking, but it was definitely much quieter up here than in the atrium.
Harry and Ginny trailed behind Percy, whose posture somehow became even more rigid and proper as they approached Kingsley's office. Percy knocked timidly on the door. "Yes?" Kingsley asked from within his office. Percy opened the door slightly.
"Sorry for the interruption, Minister. I know you're much too busy to be dealing with inconveniences like this, but I have a guest who wants to speak with you," Percy said, and Harry had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at Percy's overly exaggerated way of trying to sound important as he spoke.
"Who is it?" Kingsley asked.
"Harry Potter," Percy answered, and Harry could hear Kingsley standing up inside the office.
A moment later, the door swung open, and Kingsley was there, smiling at them. "Harry! Ginny! It's great to see the two of you. Please, come in," he said, closing the door on Percy once they'd entered.
"How are things going Kingsley?" Ginny asked as they sat down across from his desk.
Kingsley sighed and gave her a wry smile. "Better than they were a month ago. Still nowhere near where they should be."
"We heard you're not having to act as the Head of MLE anymore," Harry commented, and Kingsley nodded, looking closely at him.
"I had to do… a lot of persuading to get Eamon to come back to the Ministry, but that's taken a large problem off my hands. We're still trying to replenish our Auror Academy after all the losses we've sustained over the last few years though, and we have a lot of people who are reluctant to work for the Ministry after everything that's happened."
Harry nodded, empathising with Kingsley's plight. "At least the trials are going well," he offered, looking to transition the conversation slightly.
Kingsley nodded. "The Wizengamot's been very consistent in the way they've dealt out punishments. I was pleased with their decision to only put Goyle on probation and confiscate his wand rather than send him to Azkaban."
That was something Hermione had been happier than Ron about, although Harry tended to agree with her and Kingsley. Goyle had grown up in a Death Eater family and fallen in line behind Draco at school. He hadn't done anything seriously illegal though, and it was reasonable to give him a second chance to improve himself, especially considering he couldn't harm anyone without a wand.
"But enough about my problems," Kingsley said. "What brings the two of you to see me?"
Harry smiled grimly. "Actually, it's about the trials. I was wanting to talk to you about the possibility of providing testimony for Draco and Narcissa Malfoy without having to appear in the courtroom. I know their trials begin tomorrow. I'm not wanting to turn their trials into a spectacle about me, and I also don't really want my testimony to be in the Daily Prophet."
Kingsley nodded, rubbing his chin as he thought about it. "I suppose I could make a record of your testimony, have a witness verify that it's all accurate, and I could present it to the Wizengamot during the deliberation period."
"Yeah, that would be great. Will Ginny work as a witness?"
"How old are you, Ginny?" Kingsley asked.
"Almost seventeen," Ginny responded, and Kingsley chuckled a little.
"Unfortunately, unless you're actually seventeen, you can't be the official witness. We could bring your brother in here though if you'd like."
Harry quickly responded, "Er– could we have Arthur come up instead?" Both Ginny and Kingsley laughed, and Kingsley nodded, sending a Patronus to Arthur.
Harry raised his eyebrow at this, and Kingsley shrugged. "It's faster than the flying paper, and Arthur was a member of the Order, so he won't be surprised."
"Was a member?" Ginny asked. Harry had noticed that phrasing too.
Kingsley looked at them curiously. "Well, the war's over, so the Order has dissolved." They nodded their understanding, and Kingsley cracked a smile. "Besides, I'm the Minister now, so the Auror Office is basically my personal Order of the Phoenix." They all three laughed at that, and Harry thought it was interesting that he couldn't imagine joking with any of the other Ministers he'd known who had once occupied the chair Kingsley was in now.
"Do you think you could teach me how to do that with the Patronus sometime?" Harry asked after a moment.
Kingsley nodded. "It's probably not as hard as you think, especially considering how young you were when you mastered the Patronus Charm. The main thing is non-verbally telling your Patronus where to go and what to say. And of course–"
Kingsley was interrupted when Arthur opened the door, and Harry was left pondering how he could non-verbally tell his Patronus what to do. "You wanted to see me, Kingsley?"
"Thanks for coming, Arthur. Please, have a seat–" he gestured to a chair he'd just conjured on the other side of Harry "– Harry's wanting to give testimony for Draco and Narcissa Malfoy, but he wanted to do it privately. We needed an of-age wizard to serve as a witness for the testimony."
Arthur nodded, and Kingsley pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill before looking expectantly at Harry. "Er– well, my testimony isn't too long. I expect that the court will already know about all the bad things they've done. Draco was forced to plot to kill Dumbledore by Riddle, and he let Death Eaters into Hogwarts the night Dumbledore died, even though he couldn't bring himself to kill Dumbledore when he had the chance. They let their house serve as Riddle's headquarters for the last year, sheltering several known Death Eaters, including Lucius, Bellatrix, Peter Pettigrew, Greyback, and others. I more wanted to make sure that the not so bad things about them were also known by the Wizengamot."
Arthur looked curiously at Harry as he continued. "I already told you about all this, Kingsley, but I just wanted to make sure it was recorded. When the three of us were captured at Malfoy Manor, Draco was asked to confirm it was us before they called for Riddle. He said he couldn't tell it was me, but it was pretty obvious, considering he confirmed I was with Ron and Hermione, and even though my face was messed up from a Stinging Jinx, I was still the same build and had the same hair. He did also try to capture us in the Room of Requirement just before the battle started, but we ended up saving his life when it was lit with Fiendfyre. There's… well, honestly there's not a lot of things he did that help his case, but I just wanted that to be mentioned.
"With Narcissa– I'm trying to think of a delicate way to phrase what happened in the forest with her," Harry said. Kingsley frowned, trying to come up with a solution.
Instead, it was Ginny who offered an idea. "How about… there was a point when you were vulnerable and she could've gotten you killed. But… instead of turning you over to Riddle, she lied to him, risking her life, and you wouldn't have been able to win without her doing that."
Harry nodded. "That's pretty much it. That's not too vague, is it?"
Kingsley pressed his lips together, considering the question. "The Wizengamot would definitely prefer having more details, but this gets the point across well enough. Were there any other testimonies you were wanting to provide?"
"I'm wanting to testify at Umbridge's trial," Harry said, and Kingsley looked up quickly from the parchment.
"You are?" he asked, apparently surprised at his decision.
Harry nodded. "She deserves punishment, and I don't mind her trial having extra attention on it."
Kingsley nodded, and Harry knew he was somewhat familiar with what had happened at Hogwarts with her. "I'll be sure to let the Wizengamot know that you'll be testifying at her trial next week then. Now, if I could just have you and Arthur both sign at the bottom of this page…"
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
After finishing with the testimony and saying goodbye to Kingsley, Percy, and Ginny's dad, Ginny and Harry left the Ministry and went into Muggle London. Once again, they found themselves walking hand-in-hand by the river, enjoying all the sights of the city.
"Do you think that'll matter much?" Harry asked abruptly.
"Your testimony? I don't know how much it'll help Draco, but I do think it may help Narcissa quite a bit, honestly," Ginny answered, a little surprised that he seemed to actually care about them not receiving excessively harsh punishments.
Harry surprised her by taking her to a different kind of theatre than they'd gone to before. "This is called the Globe Theatre," he explained as they walked towards the circular building. "Here, Muggles put on plays, which are basically films but in real life. All the plays here are by Shakespeare, this famous English writer from a long time ago, and the plays are all well-known enough that we were learning about some of them when I was in school."
Ginny was interested in the concept. The building seemed much less 'Muggle-y' than most that she'd seen, and she did like the idea of watching something like a film. "Oh, this is great!" Harry said as they approached the theatre. "They're showing Romeo and Juliet. It's like the most famous Muggle love story ever!" Ginny had to admit it was funny seeing him get so excited over a love story, but it was also rather adorable watching him plan these dates for them.
They bought two tickets and walked inside. "Just as long as it's not as sad as the last love story you had me watch," Ginny teased, and Harry grinned.
"It's not, I promise," he answered confidently.
Three hours later, Ginny was glaring at Harry, who sheepishly avoided making eye contact with her. "You said it wasn't sad," she said accusingly after they walked out of the theatre.
"I was ten the last time I was in a Muggle school. At least I remembered it was a love story," he answered defensively.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, a bloody brilliant love story where they both die in the end!"
Harry groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I'm the worst at planning these things, apparently. I didn't realise it would be another sad love story. I thought it had to be better than the last one," he said, still looking disappointed with himself.
Ginny took pity on him and took his hand, kissing it softly. "Harry–" he looked up hesitantly at her, and Ginny felt terrible that he felt like he'd messed up this badly. "Babe, I don't care what we do on these dates. I just like spending time with you and seeing part of the world you grew up in. We could do literally anything, and I wouldn't care, as long as we were together."
Harry smiled. "How do you always know what to say?" he asked, expecting the answer they always gave to that question.
"Magic," she answered, kissing him gently before letting him lead her away from the theatre.
They stopped to eat at a pub by the river, watching all the boats go by. They both ate fish and chips. Once again, she was surprised by how good Muggles were at cooking. She just couldn't get enough of everything, looking at all the buildings, the boats, the people. It was all very interesting, and she was eager to take it all in. She noticed Harry staring at her with a smile on his face.
"What?" she asked, smiling back at him.
He shook his head. "I just really love you," he said, making Ginny's heart flutter even though he said it all the time. She made sure to reward him with a very pleasant snog in an alley before they apparated back to the Burrow.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
A few days later, Harry was sitting on the porch with Ron and Hermione, waiting for Ginny to come back downstairs so they could go. "Oh, I forgot to mention. If you're looking for a play to go see on a date, don't go see Romeo and Juliet," Harry said.
Hermione started laughing hysterically at this, while Ron looked confused between her and Harry's exasperated expression. "Oh, Harry, you didn't!" she exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes as she continued giggling.
"What's that?" Ron asked.
Harry sighed. "It's a play– like a film but in real life– and it's a love story–"
Ron interrupted Harry. "Bloody hell, you didn't take her to another sad one did you? Why is it so much harder for you to take your girlfriend on a happy date than it is for me?"
Harry flushed as Hermione and Ron both devolved into another fit of laughter. "So what was so sad about this one, then? Were they in a trainwreck or something?" Ron asked, still grinning at Harry's misery.
Harry sighed again. "They both died," he mumbled.
"They both died?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Technically, Romeo killed himself because he thought Juliet was dead when she was just pretending, and then she killed herself when she saw that he was dead," Hermione elaborated, still giggling at Harry's misery.
Ron gaped, shaking his head. "Bloody hell, Muggles are mental." Harry finally laughed, agreeing with that sentiment. A moment later, Ginny came outside.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked him.
He nodded and stood up. "Where are you two going?" Ron asked.
"We're going to see Emily. She sent us a letter saying they let her out of the hospital, and she wants us to see her house," Ginny answered, pulling Harry down the path to exit the wards, before they disapparated. They met Emily's father in Queen Camel. Apparently, the Brooks family lived fairly close to Andromeda, but since they weren't sure exactly where, they walked with him until they reached their house, which was on the other side of town from Andromeda's house.
Emily came out to meet them, and Harry was surprised to see that she was in what looked to be a very comfortable chair, wooden with a plush cushion, that just so happened to be floating. It was quite the improvement on the wheelchair he was expecting to see her in.
"Hi guys!" Emily called, gliding down to meet them. The chair barely hovered above the ground, making the effect almost unnoticeable when she wasn't moving.
Ginny hugged her before Harry gave her the secret handshake they'd invented the last time they'd seen each other. It was such a simple thing that made her really happy, and he loved that. The truth was that he could remember a time, years ago, when he saw Dudley and all his friends exchanging a secret handshake, and he had so desperately wanted someone to make one with. He may have grown up, but it was still satisfying to a small part of his younger self that he finally had a friend that he could share a secret handshake with.
"How is it being home?" Harry asked as Emily led them inside. The chair spun around so she was facing them even as she continued moving through the house.
"It's so much better than the hospital! Mum makes way better food, and I can finally move around and see places that aren't the same room every day!"
Harry smiled at her enthusiasm. He didn't imagine it would be too hard for her to feel sorry for herself considering everything that had happened, but she seemed so genuinely excited with life that it was infectious. Every time they were around her, it was just easy to be happy.
Emily led them to her room, which was painted in red and gold, with a large Gryffindor lion above her bed. Harry and Ginny both looked around, very impressed with the room. "Mum did this after I told her I'd been sorted into Gryffindor. It was an awesome surprise for Christmas," she explained, very proud of her room.
Harry saw the broom propped up in the corner of the room. "Do you play Quidditch?" he asked.
She nodded. "Dad was teaching me how to be a Chaser before I went to school. I was hoping to try out for the team in a couple of years, but…" she trailed off, and for the first time, Harry could see the emotional turmoil Emily was dealing with. Ginny sat next to her on the bed, and Harry quickly stepped out of the room.
He found Emily's dad. "Sorry to bother you, Mister Brooks, but would it be okay if Ginny or I took Emily for a flight on her broom?"
The man frowned for a moment, thinking about it. "Ginny and I have both played Quidditch for years, and we've ridden on an old broom together, so it's perfectly safe. One of us can even stay on the ground and watch to make sure nothing happens," Harry added, hoping he'd be able to convince him.
Finally, he nodded. "Alright, I think she'd like that. Just be careful," he said, and Harry nodded, quickly darting back to Emily's room.
"Where'd you go?" Emily asked.
Harry grinned. "I just went to make sure it was okay before we took you up for a flight."
Ginny grinned at that too, but Emily looked confused. "I can't fly a broom anymore," she said sadly, and Harry shook his head.
"You'll fly with one of us."
Her expression brightened and she moved over to grab her broom. "Thanks, Harry! This is gonna be awesome!" Emily cried out as she zipped out of her room and towards the yard. Harry chuckled and went to follow her, but Ginny stopped him.
"You really are amazing, you know?" she asked. Harry shrugged, but he couldn't help but smile at that loving look she was giving him before she kissed him on his cheek. Then, they followed Emily out into the yard. Ginny got to take her on the first ride, so she mounted the broom, and Harry helped Emily get on in front of her. Ginny held on tightly to Emily before kicking off, and Harry watched with his wand out, just in case something went wrong.
But nothing went wrong at all. He could hear Emily and Ginny's whoops and laughter as they flew all over. He laughed with them, feeling their joy even though he wasn't in the air with them. They were up for so long that they only landed when Emily's mum came out to announce that dinner was ready. They landed, and Emily frowned. "But I was gonna go fly with Harry next," she protested sadly.
Harry helped her back into her chair. "Next time we're here, I get the first flight with you," he promised. Emily nodded eagerly, and her smile immediately returned. Harry and Ginny ate dinner with the Brooks family, learning more about Emily's parents' time at Hogwarts. They'd both been in Ravenclaw, and they'd been surprised when Emily had been sorted into Gryffindor, although the reason was much more obvious now than it was a year ago.
After a delicious meal, they told the family goodbye and thanked them for dinner. Harry gave Emily another secret handshake before he and Ginny walked down the path away from their house, disapparating after they were out of sight of a waving Emily.
The next day, they returned to Hogwarts. They hadn't been back since they'd fixed the second floor corridor a week earlier. Not seeing McGonagall anywhere, they started wandering the castle, looking for something to do.
"Why don't we go to the Room of Requirement and see about the damage from the fire?" Ginny offered, and Harry agreed, interested to see what the room looked like now. It was sort of fun, as they walked, for him to imagine that they were just back at school and their lives hadn't been so dramatically disrupted at the end of his sixth year. Debris in a couple corridors pulled him out of that fantasy, but that didn't make it less happy to imagine. They made their way to the seventh floor and located the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet. Ginny let Harry step forward in front of the wall where the door usually was.
He paced back and forth three times. 'I need the room we used for Dumbledore's Army,' he thought. After passing it a third time, he turned and saw the familiar door. Glancing at Ginny, he stepped forward and opened it, a little surprised to not see the room he was expecting. As he observed the room for longer, what he was seeing made more sense.
The room was completely empty, except for charred scorch marks scattered around the walls, floor, and ceiling. It looked, fittingly enough, like a room that had been burned almost to the point of collapse. Ginny peeked in next to him and gasped at the scene. "I'll try again, but I don't think it'll change," Harry said, closing the door and pacing in front of the door again.
'I need a toilet,' he thought, and after his third pass, the door reappeared. He opened it once again, unsurprised to see the room hadn't changed.
He frowned, stepping into the room fully, with Ginny close behind him. "What do you think?" she asked, spinning around in the room but finding nothing other than the walls.
"I have no idea. There must be a way to fix it, but I don't have any clue how to do that," Harry answered.
"We could ask McGonagall," Ginny suggested, and Harry nodded.
"That's a good idea. She might be able to give us a place to start."
They left the room and walked to the Headmistress' Office. Harry was surprised that the gargoyle had been completely removed, so they just walked up to the door of her office and knocked. "Come in!" McGonagall called from inside the office. Harry opened the door, and they both entered.
McGonagall had definitely been making the office her own. Tartan patterns covered furniture and walls in the office. There was still a large collection of books, but almost none of Dumbledore's old trinkets were still around. Harry noticed the Pensieve in the corner hadn't been moved either.
McGonagall looked up when they walked in. "Oh, it's you two. How are you doing?"
"We're fine, Professor," Harry answered. "We wanted to ask you a question about the Room of Requirement."
"Ah, I was wondering if you would," she said, smiling a little mysteriously at Harry. For a moment, she reminded him of Dumbledore, and Harry found himself wondering if the old man had been quite as mysterious before he'd had the title of Headmaster.
"You knew it was broken?" Harry asked, surprised.
McGonagall nodded. "I checked on it after you told me what had happened there with the Fiendfyre. I don't really have the time to dedicate to trying to fix it, but the two of you are more than welcome to focus on that. I know you've both found it very useful over the years, and it would be a shame if we couldn't pass that on to future generations."
"Hopefully future generations won't need it as badly as we did," Ginny muttered, and McGonagall nodded.
"I agree. However, it is an important part of Hogwarts, and I'd very much like for it to remain, even if it's never needed in quite as dire circumstances as it has been for the past few years."
"Do you have any idea about what we could do to fix it?" Harry asked. McGonagall nodded and waved her wand. A moment later, a thick, yellowed tome with an aged leather cover appeared on the desk in front of them. The book looked ancient, and Harry was almost afraid to touch it.
As if reading his mind, McGonagall said, "There are preservation charms on it. You won't hurt it by holding it."
Ginny reached out for it, and they gently held it between the two of them. They randomly leafed through the pages, seeing different drawings of Hogwarts and plenty of notes scribbled. "What is this?" Ginny asked, a little startled at the same thing Harry had just noticed– a drawing of a large statue of Salazar Slytherin.
"Look at the front again," McGonagall suggested. They closed the book and looked at the front cover. The only thing on it was the Hogwarts seal, nearly unrecognisable from the age on the leather. "On the inside cover," McGonagall nudged.
They opened the book and looked inside the cover. There was something small written in the upper corner. Leaning in to get a better look, Harry read aloud, "Nine hundred ninety-nine." He looked up. "What does that mean?"
McGonagall looked knowingly at Ginny, whose eyes were wide. "Is this– this was written when Hogwarts was founded?" she asked.
McGonagall nodded. "By the four founders themselves." Harry's jaw dropped, stunned that this book existed, let alone that he was holding it.
"Seriously?" Harry asked.
"Potter, you should know by now that I am always serious," McGonagall answered, even though she did smile a little at that.
"So this book talks about the Room of Requirement?" Ginny asked, leafing through it again.
"And much more. There's plenty of vagueness and ambiguity in the text, but this is the most concentrated place for the secrets of Hogwarts that exists. You're welcome to use it to assist with your efforts. I just ask that you don't share any of the other secrets you learn with anyone. It's incredibly rare for anyone other than the Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts to see this book, but… I feel like you've both earned it."
Gratefully, Harry and Ginny both nodded, thanking McGonagall before heading back to the Room of Requirement with the book. The first thing they did when they got back was clean up. Well, Harry cleaned up. They both cast restorative spells, but only Harry's seemed to work on the Fiendfyre burns. Harry shrugged at Ginny's confused look, not understanding it anymore than she did, but he quickly cleaned so they were left with an empty, unblemished room.
He also conjured two chairs and a table for them so they could study the book together. They spent more than an hour poring over the text, finding references to different things that they'd definitely want to learn more about later, before they finally found a page titled 'The Come and Go Room'.
"R.R." Ginny whispered, running a finger over the initials at the top of the page. "R.R. Was this room built by Rowena Ravenclaw?"
Harry looked at the page with her. "I mean, that would make sense, considering how complicated it was. The real question is did she explain how she did it?"
Ginny continued reading. "Umm… sort of. She says she took three steps to create the room the first time. The first step was to prepare a– well, it says 'my' Wit-Sharpening Potion. I guess that must be different from a regular wit-sharpening potion. Then she drew a rune on each of the four walls of the room, and then she cast the spell 'Erimiloci' to finish."
"Three steps doesn't sound too bad," Harry said optimistically, but Ginny shook her head.
"We have to find out if there's something unique about her wit-sharpening potion. After we do that, we have to figure out what the runes are because she doesn't actually say what they are. There's just riddles for them."
Harry sighed and sat back in the chair. "Wouldn't it be nice if, just once, something could just be a little easy?"
Ginny chuckled and looked up at him. "Now where's the fun in that? This will be an adventure for us," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. Harry laughed with her. He may have been tired of adventures, but at least he was doing this one with her. He leaned back to look over the book.
"Okay then, we're gonna figure this out. Is there anything in the book about Rowena's potions, or is it only stuff about Hogwarts?" he asked.
Ginny leafed through the pages for a few moments before shaking her head. "I don't see anything about potions here."
Harry frowned. "Surely there has to be a record somewhere of it, if she made any changes to it. Maybe we could look in the library or the Ravenclaw common room?"
"I can't imagine there'd be anything in the library about it. Maybe in the common room though. I just wish she had a portrait here or something so we could ask her about it," Ginny said absently, turning pages again.
"I'm an idiot," Harry laughed. Ginny looked at him curiously, and he continued, "I know exactly who we can ask."
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Ginny followed Harry through the castle. He'd explained that the Grey Lady was the one who told him about Ravenclaw's diadem because she was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw. Maybe she'd know something about the potion and be willing to help, if they could find her.
It took a while, but they finally found her gliding through a corridor on the fourth floor. "Helena!" Harry called, and the ghost turned in the air, seemingly surprised, though the surprise morphed slightly into recognition upon seeing them. She stayed where she was, and Ginny and Harry walked up to her.
"I didn't ever introduce myself when we spoke the first time. I'm Harry–"
The Grey Lady interrupted him, looking curiously down at them. "I know who you are, Harry Potter. Even among ghosts, you're quite famous… especially after what you did last month."
"I– ah, yeah. I did destroy the diadem. We wouldn't have won if it wasn't for your help," he said gratefully.
She nodded at him. "At least I was able to make amends for my previous errors in judgement. I recognise you," she added, looking now at Ginny.
Ginny smiled at the woman. "I'm Ginny Weasley."
Helena nodded again. "People say much that ghosts overhear. I've heard a great deal about what you did to protect the students of Hogwarts this year." Ginny tried not to look too surprised, even though she'd had no clue that word had spread that far.
"Er– we were hoping to ask you for another favour. The Room of Requirement was badly damaged in the battle, and it no longer works correctly. We know the steps we need to take, but your mother was… pretty cryptic in her descriptions of them," Harry said hopefully.
"Cryptic was my mother's favourite way of communicating. It's been centuries since I've seen her room, and I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about how she made it," Helena responded.
"We were actually just wanting to ask if you knew anything about a special wit-sharpening potion your mother made. The first step of the process is to brew it, but we weren't sure if it was different from a typical wit-sharpening potion or not," Ginny said.
Helena frowned. "My mother's intellect was hers, not given by any potion. However… I do remember helping her brew a complicated potion in the early years of Hogwarts that was similar to a wit-sharpening potion. If you'll give me some time, I'll do what I can to recall exactly what it was," she offered.
They both nodded gratefully. "We should be back some time next week," Harry said, and Helena nodded, gliding away as they left the castle to return to the Burrow.
That evening, Andi brought Teddy over for his now regular weekend visits.
"Did Narcissa's trial already happen?" Andi asked once they were all eating dinner. Hermione nodded and began explaining the results of the trials she'd attended that week.
"Narcissa's punishment wasn't too severe. She was placed on a ten year probation where she has to allow the Ministry to check her wand monthly to ensure she isn't doing anything illegal. Draco was given a twenty year probation with the same conditions, but his wand has been confiscated for a year as well. Lucius was sentenced to fifty years in Azkaban. They couldn't prove that he'd ever actually killed someone, but he obviously committed a wide variety of other crimes. And they lost a significant amount of their fortune to pay for their crimes financially too. Supposedly, the money will be going to a fund for the families of the deceased students."
Andromeda nodded. "I'm surprised Narcissa's sentence was that light."
"When they gave their ruling, the Wizengamot said there was additional testimony that they'd been given privately that helped keep her out of Azkaban, but they refused to comment any further on it," Hermione answered, glancing briefly at Harry. Ginny also looked at him and saw him nod slightly. That was about the best reaction he'd give to that news, and she was pleased that he'd made a difference in the case.
That night, Ginny and Harry were woken by Teddy crying. By this point, they were used to it enough that they worked quickly in tandem. Ginny lifted Teddy out of the cot and began rocking him in her arms, trying to get him to calm down. He didn't need his nappy changed, so Harry warmed a bottle of milk, and Ginny began feeding him. They sat together on the edge of her bed. Harry had one arm wrapped around her and the other under Teddy, and Ginny found herself thinking that this was about as domestic as things could be, and she liked it quite a bit.
A moment later, they heard a noise on the landing outside her door. Ginny and Harry exchanged nervous glances, and Harry stood up, walking slowly to the door while drawing his wand. He threw the door open, pointing his wand at whoever was on the landing. Ginny saw him shaking his head. He turned back to her.
"It's George," he whispered.
Ginny frowned. "Is he–" she began to ask, and Harry nodded grimly. He left the room for a few minutes, presumably to help George to his room, before he came back to their room.
"He's totally pissed," Harry said, closing the door and walking back to the bed.
"How bad?" Ginny asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Barely able to walk, let alone talk. He was asleep the second he fell into his bed. I have no idea how he got back here without hurting himself," Harry answered, shaking his head in disbelief.
"We need to talk with him," Ginny said, standing up and laying a now-asleep Teddy back in his cot.
Harry nodded. "We will tomorrow."
They'd told Ron and Hermione about George back when Charlie had left, so nobody was out of the loop as they sat on the porch the next day, waiting for George to wake up. Eventually, he came out on the porch, apparently planning on leaving, but Ron stopped him.
"We need to talk to you," Ron said, turning George so that he was facing all of them.
"What's going on?" George asked, frowning at all their concerned faces.
"It's about last night," Harry explained, and George rolled his eyes.
"Bloody hell, I got a little pissed at the pub. I don't need any babysitters checking up on me because they think I can't take care of myself."
"Georgie, we're worried about you," Ginny said pleadingly, hoping her big brother would listen to her, but George just shook his head.
"Don't be. I'm an adult, and I can take care of myself. I'll see you lot later," he said, striding away from them and disapparating once he'd left the wards.
"That could've gone better," Ron said grimly.
"I'm worried things are going to get worse with him before he admits he needs help," Ginny responded quietly. None of them had anything to say to that because they knew, as well as she did, that she was probably right.
Other than the failed talk with George, the weekend passed by smoothly, and George was at home the next few nights at a reasonable time, sober. The night before Harry's testimony, the four of them were in the living room with Arthur and Molly. Everyone, even Bill and Fleur, had promised to be at the testimony the next day, and Hermione was trying to coach Harry through it since she'd been to all the trials.
"You'll have an opportunity to tell your story about Umbridge, and since they know you're coming, they'll probably ask you some specific questions. There were already a few people who gave testimony about what she was doing to Muggle-borns, but nobody's spoken about what happened at Hogwarts yet."
Harry nodded, squeezing Ginny's hand for comfort. She could tell he was getting nervous about it. "I think it's time for you to get to bed," she said, standing up and pulling Harry to his feet. Without any shame, she said goodnight to her family, ignoring the odd look her mother was giving her, and walked with Harry up the stairs.
After she closed the door to her room, she stepped in front of Harry. "How are you feeling?" Ginny asked, caressing his cheek gently.
He pressed his lips together into a tight line. "I'm nervous. I don't wanna mess any of this up, and I'm worried that it's gonna sound bad that all this happened and I never told anyone. Or that I'm supposed to be some hero and shouldn't have been intimidated by her."
"Remember what I told you about other people's opinions?" Ginny asked, looking up at him.
He smiled slightly. "Everyone else can go to blazes."
She nodded. "Exactly. You'll do what needs to be done tomorrow because that's what you do. You thrive under pressure. Just do what has to be done, and you'll never have to think of her again. And if it gets to be too much, I'll be there."
"Promise?" he asked quietly, and Ginny stood on her toes to kiss him.
"Forever," she promised, pleased to see the relief that washed over Harry's face.
The next morning, nobody ate anything. They were all too sick with the thoughts of the trial. Like when they'd visited Kingsley a week earlier, they all went into the phone booth that seemed to expand to fit the number of people. They all received visitor badges and waited for the floor to stop moving. Ginny wasn't expecting the madness that ensued once they stepped into the lobby.
Cameras were flashing everywhere, and a crowd of people were screaming for Harry to look at them. Like at the memorial, the Weasleys quickly surrounded Ginny and Harry, but people were still reaching cameras over the human wall to take a photograph of Harry. Ginny glanced at him and saw that his eyes had become glassy, and he was starting to shake.
"Protego!" Bill shouted, creating a shield around the family and throwing the reporters back. All of the Weasleys now had their wands out, ready to repel any reporters, but Ginny was only focussed on Harry.
Without hesitation, she kissed him. "Come on Harry, wake up, babe. It's all okay now. I've got you."
Harry's breathing calmed down and his eyes focused on her. "Thanks," he whispered, and she hugged him quickly. Nobody in her family made any comment about it. Instead, they all went through the wand check without any further disruptions. They were able to get on a lift by themselves and go down to the Department of Mysteries level. Ginny and Harry squeezed each other's hands tightly, and Ginny could see Hermione and Ron doing the same. This place did not bring back good memories.
At the end of the corridor, they took a left down a flight of stairs and stopped at the first door in the next corridor, labelled Courtroom One. A Wizengamot official seemed to be waiting for them. "Everyone other than Mister Potter is welcome to join the viewing area. Mister Potter, if you'll come with me, we're ready for your testimony."
Harry looked down at Ginny, who did her best to smile reassuringly at him. "You're going to be okay. I love you," she whispered.
Harry nodded, hugging her quickly. "Love you too," he whispered, following the man into the room.
The Weasleys followed, turning right and climbing up the stairs into the viewing gallery. Ginny could hear the rumblings of the audience, which was much larger than she'd expected. Then again, the reporters had known that Harry was going to be here today, so it stood to reason that there were more people here for that reason too. Luckily, they were able to sit in the area reserved for friends and family because Umbridge had none, so there was plenty of room, and Ginny had a perfect view of Harry. Unfortunately, that meant she also had a view of Umbridge, who was sitting in a chair to the side of the courtroom floor in disgustingly pink dress robes. At least she was chained, Ginny thought, but Harry clearly looked uncomfortable sitting in the chair at the centre of the room regardless.
They had only just sat down when an elderly man who was in the middle of the front row of the Wizengamot stood. "We are ready to begin. This continues the trial of Dolores Umbridge for a variety of crimes she is accused of committing over the past several years. I am Tiberius Ogden, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, presiding with Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic, and Eamon Fairchild, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Today, we are hearing another testimony in this trial, given by Harry Potter." There were several murmurs in the crowd, but the Chief Warlock ignored them.
"Mister Potter, I'd like to begin by asking you some questions before we allow you to share anything else you'd like to in your testimony. Do you agree to this?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said in a respectful tone.
"How do you know the defendant?" the man asked.
"I met her when she was my Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in my fifth year at Hogwarts."
"Did you ever have any confrontations with the defendant, either during that year or later?"
"You could say that. I had plenty of detentions with her," Harry answered, grimacing slightly.
"Why did you receive so many detentions from her?"
"All sorts of reasons, honestly. I received my first week of detention from her when I refused to back down because she called me a liar for saying Voldemort had returned, and then another for continuing to disagree with her stance that Voldemort wasn't a threat to anyone. I received a third week for giving an interview to The Quibbler about what had happened the night Voldemort returned, in addition to losing Hogsmeade privileges. She also banned me from playing Quidditch because I got into a fight with someone who insulted my dead mother and the closest thing I have to a living mother, while he received no punishment. So… it's safe to say she and I had our share of confrontations, I guess."
Ginny noticed her mum sitting up straighter in her seat, seemingly very pleased that Harry was saying he viewed her like a mother. That didn't surprise Ginny though, just like it didn't surprise her that Harry remembered every detention he got from Umbridge.
"What was a typical detention like with the defendant?"
Harry grimaced again, and Ginny was thankful that he looked into the crowd and found her. She nodded encouragingly, and he nodded slightly before looking back at the Wizengamot. "She made me write lines with a special quill of hers. She wanted to make sure that, as she said, the message would really sink in."
"What was so special about this quill?"
Harry cleared his throat. "It– it didn't need ink. It used the blood of the writer instead."
There were several gasps throughout the crowd, and the Chief Warlock frowned as he looked at Harry. "Do you know how it did that?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. It may have been something she invented. Every time I'd write a line, I'd feel a stinging in my hand, and eventually the wounds stopped healing completely. But… yeah, blood was the ink for it."
"I apologise if I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying that you had wounds on your hand from the quill?"
He nodded. "The scars are still there, in my own handwriting. Every line made the cuts deeper, but I have a permanent reminder. I must not tell lies," he said grimly, holding his hand up and clenching it tightly so the scars stood white against his skin.
The courtroom almost erupted with sounds of indignation. Ginny noticed that Umbridge appeared unfazed by it all. "I will have order in this courtroom!" Tiberius Ogden said in a loud voice, regaining control of the room. "Mister Potter, would you mind coming up here and allowing us to see your hand?"
Harry stood and approached him, turning his hand so that he could read the words. Even from a distance, Ginny could see Ogden, Eamon Fairchild, and several others around them paling at what they saw. After a moment, Harry returned to his seat.
Ogden cleared his throat. "Thank you Mister Potter, and I am terribly sorry for the pain you must've endured. Before I allow you to continue with your testimony, I wanted to ask if you knew anything about the defendant's actions regarding Muggle-borns in the last year."
Harry nodded. "I'm sure there are others who could tell you better than I could, but she never kept it a secret that she thought herself better than others. She insulted and attacked centaurs, and she demeaned everyone she came in contact with that was under her authority. I witnessed one trial she held for a Muggle-born witch, and it was horrendous. She accused the witch of stealing her wand from a true witch or wizard, and she threatened someone who disagreed with her ruling with the Dementor's Kiss."
Ogden nodded grimly. "I believe that's all the questions we have for you Mister Potter. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the court concerning the defendant?"
"Er– I think there are a lot of things I could tell you about her, but I think you already know about them between my testimony and the other testimonies you've heard. Hogwarts was never more miserable to me than the year she was there. She became like a dictator, making rule after rule to try and make us all fall in line with her image of a perfect, submissive school. At one point, she outlawed gatherings of three or more people because she was afraid someone would try and get her out of power. Between the things she did at school and what she did to Muggle-borns, I believe she should receive a punishment that'll deter anyone from attempting to commit her crimes again."
Harry stopped and took a deep breath. "Thank you–" the Chief Warlock started to say, but Harry interrupted him to say the thing Ginny had been wondering if he'd mention.
"Oh– sorry, but… I forgot to mention that she also tried to cast the Cruciatus Curse on me once."
Yet again, the courtroom erupted in disbelief, but, seeing the glare from Ogden, quietened much quicker this time. "What do you mean she tried to cast the Cruciatus on you?" he asked.
"She'd locked down Hogwarts from all outside communication other than what she could see. I'd found out that my godfather might've been in grave danger, and I needed to find out quickly if it was true. I broke into her office to use the only fireplace that wasn't being monitored by her. She caught me and demanded I tell her what I was doing. When I refused, she said that what Cornelius Fudge didn't know wouldn't hurt him, just like it hadn't when she'd set the– oh, I guess I also forgot to mention that.
"I was brought here for a hearing almost three years ago because I cast a Patronus in front of my Muggle cousin when we were attacked by two dementors. I got off, but it was pretty clear that everyone here still thought I was a liar. She said that she'd set the dementors on me because she wanted me to get expelled for making the Ministry look bad when I said Voldemort had come back. Then she said that she'd cast the Cruciatus on me to get me to tell her who I'd been trying to talk to. She got halfway through the incantation before my friend, Hermione Granger, interrupted her and made up a story that allowed us all to escape unharmed."
"That's–" Ogden began to speak before he was interrupted again, this time by Umbridge, who spoke for the first time since they'd been in the courtroom.
"I never cast any Unforgivables!"
Ginny was very pleased at how flustered the toadlike woman appeared to be.
"Ms. Umbridge, this is not your time to speak. And even if you didn't cast any Unforgivable Curses, the intent to do it, and on a student in your care no less, is something we will definitely be taking into consideration."
"He's still lying! It's all hearsay! I never cast any Unforgivables, and I never attempted to!" Umbridge shouted, and without knowing what she was doing, Ginny stood up.
"I was there!" she shouted back, her voice several times louder than she'd expected. Then she realised Ron and Hermione were standing next to her and had shouted the same thing.
Ogden waved his wand, apparently casting a silencing charm on Umbridge, who still seemed to be trying to shout, finally looking a little desperate, even though no noise was coming out. "I presume these are your friends, Mister Potter?" he asked, gesturing to the three of them in the viewing gallery.
Harry nodded. "They were all there when she admitted to setting the dementors on me and started to cast the Cruciatus. They also saw how bad my hand got after detentions with her and helped me heal it as best as I could."
"I'm sure that we'd be interested in their testimonies, written or verbal, as well, then. I do have to ask though, Mister Potter, considering everything that happened to you that year, why didn't you tell anyone about it?"
Ginny saw him frowning as he considered the question. "I… never told anyone because I didn't have anyone to tell. The Ministry spent the year trying to make me out to be an attention-seeking liar. Professor Dumbledore was trying to protect me by distancing himself from me for reasons that make more sense to me now, and she was in charge of all the other professors. And I didn't want to give her that satisfaction. I could tell how much she enjoyed causing me pain. She wanted to break me, to make me bend to the will of the Ministry, and I refused to allow her to do that to me."
Ogden nodded. "I understand. Mister Potter, your testimony has been extremely enlightening for all of us, and I promise you that the crimes committed against you by the defendant will not go unpunished. Thank you for your time, and you are free to leave."
Harry nodded gratefully and stood out of his chair. For a brief moment, Ginny saw him look at Umbridge. Then he turned, shaking his head dismissively, and he walked out of the courtroom with his head held high, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. As she and the rest of her family left to join him, Ginny felt incredibly proud. He'd faced someone else who had tried to ruin his life, and he'd won, yet again. He was the strongest person she knew, and he did the right thing. Ginny turned and looked back at the toad one last time. Ginny wanted to be the one to give Umbridge the punishment she believed was deserved, but it wasn't worth her time. Harry was waiting outside those doors, and Ginny had no problem turning her back on Umbridge and those problems of the past, much more interested in the future she had with the man who had just defeated yet another monster.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: Talk about an explosive testimony! I've been very excited to share this chapter because I think it's just incredibly satisfying for Harry to tell the world what evil things Umbridge did so that she would receive the consequences of all of it, but also because I think both Harry and Ginny being able to walk away shows an immense amount of maturity that is very important to their character growth.
I want to clarify, in case it was confusing, that the structure of this trial doesn't contradict the structure of trials that we see in Dumbledore's memory of Barty Crouch Jr's trial. That trial was held before the Council of Magical Law, which is essentially an inferior court to the Wizengamot. The Wizengamot typically only meets very rarely to oversee court proceedings; however, considering the very public nature of the Battle as well as the way that the world has changed in between Voldemort's first fall and the current time, it made sense to me that the entire Wizengamot would want to try everyone so they could get the firsthand knowledge of what all happened. It's also worth pointing out that Tiberius Ogden was a member of the Wizengamot in OotP who was reported to have resigned in protest against Umbridge becoming High Inquisitor at Hogwarts and the defamation campaign by the Ministry against Harry and Dumbledore. So even though it's not really covered in the chapter, Ogden only very recently rejoined the Wizengamot and was elected Chief Warlock immediately.
Fixing the Room of Requirement is something I've seen theories on before but really wanted the chance to explore in my story. I didn't want to just write off the room because of the Fiendfyre, so my interpretation is that the Fiendfyre basically wiped the magic from the room and 'factory reset' it, requiring Harry and Ginny to fix it. I sort of envisioned the book left by the founders to be like the legendary President's Book of Secrets (popularised by National Treasure 2 for anyone who saw it), just way older. There is also the potential for Harry and Ginny to discover even more secrets beyond how to fix the Room of Requirement in the book!
I also want to briefly mention the sentences being given out by the Wizengamot, particularly as relates to the Malfoys. As far as I can tell, the only Unforgivable Curse that Lucius ever performed was an Imperius Curse on Broderick Bode and possibly Sturgis Podmore to try to get them to steal the prophecy in OotP, and, as far as I could tell, nobody in any actual authority would've known about and been able to prove it. Lucius definitely deserved a long sentence, and fifty years is rather significant, even with an extended wizard's lifespan, along with the loss of the family wealth, so I hope it makes sense why he received that sentence. Neither Narcissa or Draco actually committed any super severe crimes (excluding the whole letting the Death Eaters into Hogwarts to kill Dumbledore), so I felt like a probation was more appropriate. I also believe it shows the way that Kingsley is trying to help lead the Ministry and Wizengamot, with an emphasis on rehabilitation where possible.
I think that covers everything that I really wanted to mention about I Must Not Tell Lies. I hope you all enjoyed, and, as always, feel free to let me know what you thought about the chapter! On a personal note, Summer of Recovery recently passed 20,000 hits across the three platforms that I post on, which is absolutely crazy to think about, so I want to thank you all so much for reading! It truly means so much to me! And with that, I hope you're all ready for the next chapter because it's certainly eventful!
Coming Tuesday: Growing Up- "You don't think Harry's the best person for me?"