Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter.

The tension in the courtroom was palpable as Rufus Alderton was led into the hearing chamber, his face marred with the bruises and scratches left from the violent confrontation with Scorpius Malfoy. He was seated in the center, bound by magical restraints, his hands resting heavily in his lap as the Wizengamot gathered around him. The room was filled with a mix of Aurors, Ministry officials, and a few members of the public, may be some relatives of the victims who killed by Alderton, all awaiting the revelations that were sure to come.

At the head of the room, Minister for Magic Hermione Granger-Weasley stood with her arms crossed, her face as calm as a frozen lake, but her eyes burned with intensity. This was no ordinary trial—it was the unveiling of a deep betrayal within the Auror ranks, and one that had cost lives. Rose Weasley sat quietly in the back, her mind far from the hearing, her thoughts still with Scorpius in St. Mungo's.

Hermione cleared her throat, her voice steady and authoritative. "Rufus Alderton, you stand accused of treason, murder, illegal Animagus transformation, and conspiracy against the Ministry of Magic. You have been given the opportunity to defend yourself. Do you wish to speak?"

Alderton looked up, his dark eyes flashing with a mixture of defiance and bitterness. "Defend myself? There's no defense when justice has been twisted for generations, Minister."

Hermione's gaze narrowed. "Enlighten us, then. Why did you do it? Why did you target innocent lives, using your Animagus form to kill?"

A smirk twisted Alderton's lips, though pain flickered in his expression as the deep wounds from Scorpius's attacks throbbed. "Innocent lives? There's no innocence among the pure-blooded elite." His voice was sharp, laced with years of resentment. "You know as well as I do what the Sacred Twenty-Eight represent. My family—my father, my grandfather—they were killed because they weren't 'pure enough.' During the Second Wizarding War, their lives were nothing, disposable to those who deemed themselves superior."

Hermione's expression remained composed, though a flicker of sadness crossed her features. "And you think murder is the answer? You became an Auror, Rufus. You were sworn to uphold the law, to protect others."

Rufus laughed bitterly. "I became an Auror to catch dark wizards, to hunt down those who destroyed families like mine. But when I saw the pure-blood families still thriving, still living their perfect lives while mine was shattered, the rage—it grew. I couldn't stand seeing their privilege, their unscathed existence."

He leaned forward slightly, the chains on his wrists rattling. "Do you know what it's like to grow up in an orphanage? To have no answers, no family, no past, just hatred for people you didn't even know? My mother ran away when she was pregnant with me. She raised me like a Muggle, and when I was five, she died too. I was alone, Minister. Completely alone. I didn't even know what I was until I got my letter from Hogwarts." His voice grew lower, darker, as he recalled the past. "And then I learned the truth—my father, killed because he wasn't pure enough. My family, destroyed by blood purity."

The courtroom remained silent, the air thick with tension.

"I tried to follow the rules," Alderton continued, his voice tight. "But every time I saw many pureblood families living like nothing had changed, like the war didn't touch them, it made me sick. I became an Animagus to fight back, to make them suffer like we did. The Manticore... it was the only form that suited the fire burning inside me."

Hermione's expression hardened, but she allowed him to speak.

"I killed them," Alderton admitted, his voice now colder, void of remorse. "But I didn't just kill them—I made sure no one could trace it back to me. They thought it was a creature, and that's how I wanted it. The venom spread fast, and by the time anyone found them, I used magic to heal the visible wounds."

He looked up at Hermione, his gaze unwavering. "I was going to kill Scorpius Malfoy. His death would have sent a message to the Ministry, to the Auror Department. But I didn't expect Rose Weasley to be with him. And I certainly didn't know about Malfoy's little condition." He sneered, recalling the shock of facing Scorpius as a werewolf.

"You intended to kill Scorpius Malfoy," Hermione stated, her voice steady, though a subtle anger rippled beneath her words. "And by doing so, you would have caused further chaos and division in the Wizarding world. Did you really believe this would solve anything?"

Alderton's smile faded, replaced by a cold bitterness. "I didn't care about solving anything. I cared about vengeance."

The room was silent, the weight of his words settling like a heavy fog. Hermione took a deep breath, her voice softer now but no less powerful. "You may have suffered, Aderton, and your family may have been wronged. But what you've done—what you've become—is no better than the very darkness you swore to fight against."

Alderton glared at her but remained silent. The truth of his hatred, his misguided quest for revenge, had been laid bare for all to see.

Hermione turned toward the Wizengamot. "The evidence is clear. Rufus Alderton is guilty of murder, illegal Animagus transformation, and conspiracy. Let the punishment fit the crimes."

As the decision was made, Rose remained seated in the back, her mind swirling with the revelations, the weight of the truth pressing down on her. Scorpius had been Rufus's target, but he had survived. He had fought, and she had fought beside him.

But there was still so much left unspoken, so much still unresolved. Rose could feel it in the pit of her stomach. The trial of Rufus Alderton might be over, but her journey with Scorpius was far from finished.

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoyed the chater.