Hermione and Ron were told they couldn't go on with Harry and Draco into the dungeons and so they waited in the lobby, even though they protested. And even after that, it took many hours for Draco and Harry to be called, but finally, they were ushered into the bowels of the Ministry to a familiar dungeon to both Harry and Draco. "Courtroom number ten?" asked Draco, swallowing hard. "Are you sure this is just a hearing? This is where my trial was."

"And my hearing, too, don't forget. Although I guess it also turned out to be a trial. In my fifth year I had to fight off Dementors in the Muggle neighborhood I lived in and the Ministry was ready to take my wand and kick me out of Hogwarts."

"Bunch of gits," he said nervously. He gazed at Harry. "Well…here goes. If it turns out all wrong…thanks anyway."

"I'll just break you out again."

"Yeah? Who'll break you out first?"

Harry shrugged and turned the handle on the door.

The room, sheathed in black stone, seemed to close around them. Draco's hands were sweaty. He honestly didn't think he had a leg to stand on and Harry was in just as much trouble for breaking him out. Would they go soft on the Hero of the Wizarding World? Draco hoped so. Harry didn't deserve this, at least.

He looked up at the wizards and witches who were a little bedazzled by the torch light to be shaken out of bed so quickly. They wore their purple robes with the "W's" on them, but Draco didn't see the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour among them. Not that that was any sort of consolation. There were plenty there he recognized from his trial two years ago and none of them looked too happy to see him again. Bet they now wished they put me in Azkaban the first time, Draco thought. But it wasn't himself he was worrying so much about. He would willingly throw himself on the mercy of the court if it would spare Harry. He reckoned Harry was in hot water breaking him out of prison. It just wasn't done.

There were two wooden chairs with restraints set before the high benches. Neither Harry nor Draco deigned to sit in them.

A witch with her grey-streaked dark hair all pushed to one side as if she had just left her bed (and in all likelihood she had) leaned forward. "All right, all right. We know why we are here at this god-awful time in the morning. Why this matter couldn't be settled in a more reasonable hour-" But she looked down at Harry and that seemed to be reason enough. One simply did not arrest Harry Potter. She shook her head in disgust. "All right, all right. We are here to decide on what actions need to be taken against the alleged Death Eater Draco Lucius Malfoy and on Harry James Potter who broke him out of Azkaban." She fumbled with some parchments before her and unrolled them, scanning them quickly. "These are writs from Aurors about the apprehension of Minx Mercer and fourteen other Death Eaters last night. It seems-" and she read further "-that Mercer and others invaded Hogwarts last evening as well." She raised her eyes and held the parchment at arms length in disbelief. The others murmured. "All right, all right. There's supposed to be an Auror here to testify. Where is that damned woman?"

Just then the doors opened, and in walked Nymphadora Tonks with Dumbledore at her side.

"Come forward, hurry now," said the Wizengamot witch. Tonks stopped next to Harry but didn't look at either him or Draco. "Let the record show that Isadora Tonks-"

"Nymphadora Tonks," she corrected, while a wizard in the back row tittered.

"All right, all right. Nymphadora Tonks, then, an Auror, begin your testimony. Well?"

"Right then. We were called to Hogwarts at approximately ten o'clock last evening at the report of Death Eaters in the castle. A student was seized but released unharmed, but she witnessed Draco Malfoy here confronting these men. They seemed to have sworn allegiance to him as their new Dark Lord." The wizards and witches shouted protests and many of them even swore.

Draco shrunk down. Great! This is helping.

Tonks held up her hands. "Excuse me. I should have said, this was all alleged. At any rate, the witness also said that they asked the defendant Malfoy if he'd killed Harry Potter but that the defendant said he didn't need any help. Mind you, the defendant was moving alone through the passages at night without any authorization to do so. He admitted to meeting this same Death Eater prior to his arrival in Hogwarts, once on a Muggle street and once in Knockturn Alley-" More murmurings "-But it was proved the defendant was in Knockturn Alley on Hogwarts business." She took a breath and spared Draco a glance. "We arrested the defendant at Hogwarts and returned with him to Azkaban where he refused to answer any questions."

Harry looked at him with questioning eyes. Draco shrugged slightly.

"The defendant, in fact, insisted that he wouldn't be believed and said-" She looked at some notes scrawled on a folded parchment, "'What difference does it make? You're going to lock me up anyway. Why don't you just use the Avada Kedavra on me now and spare everyone the trouble.'"

The Wizengamot witch shook her head and glowered at Draco.

Tonks stuffed her notes in her jeans pocket. "We put the prisoner-sorry, the defendant-in a cell and not long thereafter he was broken out of that cell by Harry Potter."

"And how do you know it was Harry Potter?" asked the witch, clearly trying to induce doubt about Harry's guilt.

Tonks sighed. "Because he came and told me about it ahead of time."

The Wizengamot burst into shouts and protests again. The witch stood up and turned to the others. "If you don't be silent we will never get out of here! Now QUIET!" She sat down hard and spread her hands on the desk before her. She lifted her eyes wearily to Dumbledore. "Albus. Can you help us here? What by Merlin's beard is going on?"

"Certainly, Ariana." Dumbledore stepped forward and swept his glance over Draco, Harry, and Tonks. "Everything as described is true-up to a point. You see, Draco never plotted with these Death Eaters. As you know since he was censured by this very panel, he has been living the simple life of a Muggle working in a London tea shop for the past two years. That is, up until about a month ago when he accidentally ran into Harry Potter and was subsequently sacked. Due to Harry's natural compassion, Draco came to work at Hogwarts as a menial but I saw much more potential there in the very changed attitude of Mr. Malfoy. So changed, in fact, that I offered him the position as potions master, which he told me he was honoured to accept. Mr. Malfoy-pardon--Professor Malfoy, was quite on his way to becoming the exemplary teacher I suspected he could be, when these unfortunate events spiraled out of control.

"Minx Mercer-a Death Eater who was supposed to be in custody in Azkaban but who escaped before he could be taken there, and, incidentally the Ministry failed to tell the rest of us-" The Wizengamot squirmed in their seats. "-manufactured his own fantasy about Professor Malfoy as the next Dark Lord. He no doubt discovered him in Muggle London, followed his movements, and thought-however mistakenly-that he was ready to assume the position left behind when Voldemort was slain. He could not know that Draco's association with Harry Potter had irrevocably changed the former Death Eater into a completely reformed man. It was Mercer who planted the Portal Scarab on Draco allowing him to enter Hogwarts, completely unbeknownst to Professor Malfoy. And as far as the witnessed threats to Harry Potter, the student in question was chastised earlier that day by Professor Malfoy himself and she perhaps chose to misunderstand the exchange between the Professor and Minx Mercer. Harry was never under any threat by Draco Malfoy. In fact, Malfoy had been a houseguest of Harry's for the last month. If Malfoy had wished any harm to Harry, he could have done so at any time. Finally, with the help of Harry Potter, the Aurors were able to hear the confession of Minx Mercer at his hideout when they battled and arrested all of them. So you see, there is really no reason to suspect any further mischief out of Draco Malfoy."

The witch, whose mouth hung open the whole time Dumbledore testified, finally closed it and sat back. "I see. Well then. Shall we put it to a vote?" She turned to the others. "All in favor of dropping all charges against Draco Malfoy, please raise you hands."

Draco held his breath. Dumbledore didn't seem to have put up much of a defense and he wondered how it would go. One part of his mind was simply positive it wouldn't go well. He braced for it, in fact, ready to leave Harry's side for good, because he didn't want to surrender to hope that it would work out. Too many things in his life hadn't worked out in the last few years. Why should this?

He squinted up at the gallery. Their faces indicated nothing. They still wore sour expressions from being dragged to the Ministry so early. Would that effect how they voted?

Slowly hands came up, only a few at first-too few. But then others, and finally a clear majority.

"All opposed?" asked the witch.

A few hands went up, but not enough to worry about.

"All right, all right. Draco Malfoy, the charges are dismissed. Don't be brought before us again, do you hear?"

Draco felt light-headed. What did she say? Was he released? Not guilty? Harry's hand slipped into his and squeezed once. Draco swiveled his head and Harry wore a brilliant smile.

"Now there is the question of Harry Potter."

Harry immediately turned from Draco and looked up at the witch.

Oh no!

"Harry Potter, you willfully and with premeditation broke a prisoner out of the wizard's prison known as Azkaban. How do you plead?"

"One moment, Ariana," said Dumbledore.

The witch slumped. "Oh for the love of-! Yes, Albus?"

"Since all charges have been dropped against Draco Malfoy and since therefore he was imprisoned unfairly, how can there be any laws broken if Harry Potter…liberated… Professor Malfoy from a miscarriage of justice?"

The witch's mouth twitched and her eyes darted to her colleagues. Draco certainly knew that the Ministry didn't want to punish the Hero of the Wizarding World-Harry was sacrosanct-but something had to be done. He thought he saw her eyes light with gratitude at Dumbledore for allowing this circuitous way out.

"So it seems to me," she said carefully, looking at the others in the Wizengamot for any contradictions. They stared back at her, eyes wide as owls-- "That Harry Potter didn't actually commit any crime. Correct? Do you agree?" They all nodded enthusiastically. "All right, all right. Then the charges-indeed there are no charges! The charges are stricken from the record as regards Harry Potter. I think this whole mess is best forgotten. Everyone go!" and she waved her hands as if shooing pigeons. "We haven't even had our morning tea! This is atrocious! Clear the courtroom!"

Draco hugged Harry, and Dumbledore's strong hands took them both and ushered them quickly out the door. Tonks waved her good-byes to Harry and the old wizard; not so enthusiastically to Draco.

"Is it all right?" asked Draco of both of them, still a little stunned.

Dumbledore smiled. "You heard her. It's best forgotten. Let's say our good-byes to your friends the Weasleys and return to Hogwarts. Classes are almost ready to start."


On to Chapter Eighteen
"Hogwarts Eternal"

Back to Chapter Sixteen
"The Gathering"

Chapter Index

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