Chapter 3
I spent a lot of time inside the walls of my home, I went out for one thing only, when I was sure I couldn’t go any longer. Blood. I spent a lot of time actually participating in the company I owned, essentially I tried to do everything in my power to avoid another incident like the previous one. But good things don’t last forever now do they.
I had the wizard radio on as I worked, I didn’t get to go into the wizarding world very often anymore, the blood of magical beings was so much sweeter, so much more alluring than that of humans. I should have had the damn radio off, because that's when I got the damn news.
Minister Kingsley has set a date for the prosecution of known death eater Draco Malfoy. The inquisition has gathered evidence and is confident of the result that will be given by the members of the wizarding council. In the absence of the supreme mugwump who has not yet been elected since the death of the previous one, the trial will take place with the council members acting as a jury. Justice will be given.
Fuck. They were actually sending Draco Malfoy to trial. They were sending him to trial with a jury that’s not going to be fair and just, they’re using the members of the council, the ones that are vehemently against death eaters, even ones who had no say. I couldn’t let it stand, I couldn’t let this happen. Regardless of whether he was my school yard bully, regardless that I'd seen the mark that blemished the porcelain skin of his arm, it wasn’t justice, it was an execution.
I turned the volume up
Trial set for the 10th of January 1999, at 10:00am
Shit. I had less than 24 hours to get some kind of angle I could work with, I had less than 24 hours to find a way to be around people without losing myself to the beast caged within my chest. First port of call though, I hit the facetime button on my phone on Hermione's contact, she picked up after the third ring.
“Hello Harry, I’ve been expecting your call, I guess you’ve heard about the trial” She looked the same, same brown skin, same golden eyes, same hair that always wanted to make its way into your mouth regardless of whether you wanted it. She was in hers and Ron's bathroom, applying mascara to her lashes.
“It’s not right, we have to do something!” I began, she nodded, eyes full of understanding.
“I know, I’ve been waiting for you” She smiled then “I know things haven’t been easy for you, especially considering your condition but i know you Harry. I knew as soon as you heard that they were putting Malfoy on trial that you’d pick up the phone, push your own feelings aside and do what is right” The sureness of her tone set me back, Most of the time I’m more monster than man, most of the time I cling to the scraps of my humanity like it is a lifeline in a rocky sea, each day the lifeline frays some more. I shoved those thoughts aside
“What can I do, Hermione?” I asked
“You have to be at the trial, speak for him, tell them all how he had no choice, tell them how if he refused they were going to kill the people he loved. Tell them how his choices were made before he was even born, how fear solidified those choices how when he did have a choice between doing what was right and what wasnt he made the right ones. Sure he's a prick and a bully and spent hogwarts making our lives hell but hes not a bad guy, not really. Fear makes people do strange things, things youd never expect them to do. Use your name Harry, your fame as the boy who lived twice, the boy who defeated the worst evil that the wizarding world has seen in the past 200 years. A world you fought for, for it to be better, for it to be more than what Voldemort was creating. He deserves a chance at the very least. Be Harry Potter again rather than hiding away from society. Your condition doesn't define you Harry and it’s about time you learnt that.” It was impossible not to believe Hermione when she spoke so fiercely, when the flames were visible in her eyes. I nodded and hung up the phone, and for the first time in what felt like forever, but was more likely 6 months I made my way to the boundary between the muggle world and the wizard one.
I was in diagon-alley, I was trying desperately to ignore the burning in my throat as I walked to Madame Malkin’s store. I’d gotten lucky so far, no-one had noticed me in my jeans and jumper, without my glasses, with my hair longer and covering my face and the slight changes my vampirism had made to my appearance. No-one had looked close enough to the guy stalking through the streets towards the clothing emporium. Robes, I needed robes, the bell on top of the door tinkled as it opened, the Madam herself was sitting behind the counter, peering over at me.
“My word, never thought I’d see you in here again Mr. Potter” She laughed. Trust her to recognise me “I imagine you’re here for robes for the Malfoy trial correct?”
“Yes Madam” I kept my eyes towards the floor
“Well you know the drill, up on the podium dear” I trudged to the back, stepped up onto the podium and let her measure away. She was efficient, always had been and before I could blink she was leading me towards the rack of dress robes at the back of the store.
“Now Mr. Potter, You’ve not been seen in over six months, since the battle, we’ve not heard a peep out of you or yours. I’m assuming that your reintroduction into wizard society is going to be talk of the town and well looking at you, you look more and more like your godfather every day. So with that in mind I'm assuming you’re going to want to make a statement so I suggest this set.” She was holding up entirely black robes, complete with a muggle tux underneath in entirely black. It was perfect, enough to let me blend into the shadows while also making a statement. I nodded.
She waved her wand, and the sizing changed, I paid, and left my new garments over my arm as I apparated back into my living room. My throat was burning, I need to feed, today preferably, who knows when I’ll get another chance given that the trial could last for days.
I dragged a jumper over my head, and grabbed my phone, shooting a text to Hermione asking about the blood substitute she had the ministry working on and headed out to my favourite bar.
It was still sort of early, but the bar was open at least. I sat in the corner nursing a glass of whiskey, not my favourite but it would do, I sat watching the humans arrive slowly. It was 6pm by the time the bar was actually filled with people, I’d been watching a blonde woman for the past 30 minutes. She’d been watching me too, so it was no surprise when she finally downed whatever was left in her drink and sauntered up to me. She had long blonde hair, big blue eyes, tanned skin and full lips. She was on the taller side, not taking into account the heels she was wearing that made her slightly taller than me.
“You look like a bad decision” She spoke in a sultry tone and I knew this was who I’d be getting my blood off today.
“I am a bad decision” I laughed
“It’s a good job I like bad decisions then isn’t it” She leant closer
“I think it could be” I ran my thumb over her wrist
“You have the most intriguing eyes, did you know?” her hand lifted to my face, I leant into it.
“Do I? Would you like a closer look?”
Her voice was barely a whisper “Yes”
I took her hand, and stood. “Should we get out of here?” I asked, and she looked at her friends “We can go tell them if you want?” I was doing my absolute best to be a nice guy, even as the monster rebelled. She shook her head and raised her hand in a parting wave to the table I’d seen her sat at. I could hear their whoops and laughter as her hand tightened in mine and we left. The bar wasn’t far from my home, we walked, she talked. Her name is Olivia, she’s 19, she goes to university not far from the bar, She studies English literature. We got into the lift in my building, that was where she made her move.
She moved so she was standing in front of me, her arms coming up to hook around my neck, mine moved on their own accord to her waist. Her lips were soft as they met mine, her tongue licking along the seam of my lips asking for entrance. Obviously I obliged. The soft ding of the lift reaching the top floor shook us from our exploring tongues as I pulled her along beside me into my home.
It was a good night well evening I guess, she left around 11pm, after I had sated both kinds of hunger, after I’d had her spread over my sheets, after I had feasted between her legs until she shook and screamed, after I had sunk my teeth into her throat at the same time that I’d sunk myself into her and drank until I was full. She left unharmed and without her memory of me and I sat in the window seat, smoking a cigarette out of the window, half dreading the trial at 10am.
I must have fallen asleep at some point cause the screeching of my alarm roused me, my face was pressed against the window, it looked like I’d been drooling on it actually. I used my wand to turn on the coffee machine, walked into the bedroom and used magic to change the sheets, flicked the shower on, undressed and stepped into the warm water.
It was not about to be an easy day, not by a long shot, other than the smallest handful of people the wizarding world hadn’t seen me since the battle where I hurtled the killing curse at the dark lord, or since mine, Ron’s and Hermione’s drunken victory lap around the few wizarding pubs in the area. It was about to be a riot.
I dressed slowly, dabbed on my favourite aftershave, pulled my hair into a messy bun, downed my coffee in one and straightened my tie before apparating from my living room. I landed outside the ministry, the rear entrance, where there was no press but Arthur Weasley was waiting for me.
“Good to see you Harry” He smiled, slapped me on the back and walked into the vipers den with me. Arthur didn’t attempt small talk with me, he simply walked beside me until we reached the chamber. I breathed in, the monster was chained and caged today, asleep almost as I steadied my nerve.
You have faced dark lords, creatures and even old professors with an iron will. You can do this too I said to myself, I squared my shoulders and banged the doors to the trial chamber open.
The room was cold, filled with equal amounts of people in black and red on either side, sitting front and centre of the gaggle of council members with Kingsley, staring at me with wide eyes, but my eyes were locked on someone else. Sitting in a chair in the centre of the room, shackled and looking dishevelled, was Draco Malfoy. His blonde hair hung limp around his face, he was looking at his feet, but from what I could see of his arms and face his stint in the Azkaban holding cell hadn’t been kind to him.
There was chatter, my name rippling through the stands as I stalked forward towards where Malfoy sat.
“Mr. Potter, the viewing seats are above you. I understand that you’ve been out of this world for some time but I assume your manors are still the same. You cannot be on the floor.” Kingsley's voice boomed.
I pulled my gaze away from Malfoy, my eyes settling on the worn face of the minister. He looked older, greying round the edges, fine lines sprouting on his face, but it was still the same guy from the war, the same hard edge to him that brokered no arguments from those around him.
“I require a word Kingsley.” I responded, walking towards the pedestal where he had sat, his eyebrows flicked up but he nodded to the security team standing guard in front of him.
“What could possibly be so important that you are interrupting this trial?” I gestured for him to lean down.
“This is wrong, you know this is wrong. He had the same amount of choices as me during the war, all of them were made before he was even born. You know this, he even helped us when he could, he doesn’t deserve this Kingsley” I murmured
“It’s out of my hands potter, they’ve put a new detail in charge of the security of the wizarding world. I have barely any say. My power is dwindling Harry” I got a good look at him then. War had aged him, but not nearly as much as his stint in power had. He had shadows around his eyes, the white bloodshot like he hadn't been sleeping, his skin was grimy, too filled with little lines that showed the result of stress and age. His hair was beginning to grey, his clothes didn’t fit right either.
“Who orchestrated this then?” I whispered. His eyes shot towards a woman in black, a woman I thought to be dead, a woman who by all accounts should be locked up tight in Azkaban. Umbridge.
She smirked at me, cold and cruel and all but begging for me to lash out at her. If there was one person i hated more than Voldemort it was her, with her horrible pink attire and high pitched voice and the inability to see her own failings. That was when I realised, it didn’t matter what I said, it wouldn’t matter if I could prove it with solid evidence, she would make sure that Malfoy never walked free again. My plans changed, I would still speak, I would give her my testimony, no reason as to why I wouldn’t play by the rules. Give them the benefit of the doubt as it happened but if I needed to let the monster in me out, then so fucking be it. I didn’t sacrifice everything just for them to throw it in my face. Fate after all is but a fickle master. I looked at Umbridge then, looked her dead in the eye and let just a little bit of what I have become rise to the surface.
“Potter please go and take a seat” Kingsley muttered gesturing to the benches along the side of the room, I sighed and made it look reluctant that I would sit down but sit I did.
Kingsley called the room to order and the trial began.
“Order in the courtroom!” Kingsley bellowed the room filled with silence, so thick that the room was on edge as he read out the document in front of him.
“We are here to begin the trial of Draco Lucius Malfoy. Mr Malfoy the accusations are as follows, Upon your left arm we would find a mark, faded since his death but marking you as one of his, as a death eater. You knowingly aided the dark lord and his forces during the war, you created a way for his forces to enter Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, you gave them sanctuary in Malfoy manor, made no effort to alert the correct people to his whereabouts, you knowingly endangered Hogwarts student and faculty lives. You and you alone cursed one student, named Katie Bell, you unknowingly poisoned one Ronald Weasley, you are indirectly responsible for the deaths of Lavender Brown, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Albus Dumbledore” My eyes were wide, he hadn’t done half of that, sure Malfoy was a prick of the highest pedigree but he hadn’t caused the death of anyone, sure he’d cursed Katie and accidentally poisoned Ron but none of them were decisions of his own. Not a single one was something I believed he had chosen to do with his own mind because he wanted too.
“How do you plead Mr. Malfoy?”
I looked at him then, really looked at him. He was sitting alone, chained to the inquisitor chair in the centre of the room. He lifted his head slowly, there was nothing left of the boy I knew. I’d noticed his limp hair earlier, the bruises on his wrists but that was as far as I had looked. I could see him now, there were bruises under his eyes, his lip was split and bleeding, a purple bruise marred the left side of his face. Fingerprints were dotted around his throat, his nose sat at an odd angle, blood crusted round the nostrils. He’d been beaten badly. Given his slight angle I'd say at least one of his ribs was broken too but it was almost impossible to tell. Except for all the marks on him, all the injuries it wasn’t that, that I found so distressing it was his eyes. His eyes always sparkled in school, always looked alive, even when he was throwing curses and crying in the bathroom his eyes never looked like this. They were always the colour of starlight, always bright and ever changing, looking at them now he looked like he’d already died. There was no sparkle, no hint of the boy he had been, the ever churning mercury of his eyes was still. I had to do something.
One of the joys of being a vampire meant that mental magics came easier to me, things like telepathy were something that came naturally to vampires or so Hermione had said. I’d never attempted it before but if he answered them, even the slightest omission of guilt and they’d have his guts for garters before the day was over. So I had to try.
I looked at Malfoy, focussed on him and only him
Don’t freak out, don’t look over but do not under any circumstance state that you are guilty of any of those crimes
I saw his eyes widen a fraction, saw him fight the urge to whip his head towards where I was sitting. It must have worked then.
If you admit anything, even the slightest thing they are going to draw and quarter you. You will be a spectacle. Do not say a fucking word.
He didn’t move, he was good at this but his breathing did speed up as he clenched his fingers that were chained to the chair. I knew him well, after all we’d been enemies for 6 years, you don’t become enemies with someone without learning how to read their body language and his was screaming Why?
I’m going to help you. I’m going to get you out of this. You don’t deserve this.
I stood, taking all of the attention from Malfoy, I slowly walked towards the podium, standing in the centre of the room, in front of Malfoy.
“Potter” Kingsley warned
I ignored him
“The crimes in which you have accused Malfoy are grossly inaccurate and honestly wrong on so many levels.” I began Kingsley made no move to make me shut up.
“Draco Malfoy might be many things but he is none of what those crimes implies. He is a boy, one who had fewer choices than even I had, his path laid before him before he was even conceived thanks to his parents. Draco Malfoy had no choices laid before him, he was terrified, threatened and fearing for not only his life but the lives of his parents. Despite this Mr Malfoy did manage to undermine the Dark Lord, when he had the option of forging a new choice he did so without hesitating. If not for the man sitting here I would not be sitting here, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley would not be sitting here. Mr. Malfoy lied directly to the dark lord's face when questioned if i was in the manor, he lied and told him he didn’t know, he brought down the wards around Malfoy Manor to allow me, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley to escape with the prisoners that Voldemort had in the dungeon. He brought essence of dittany to the dungeons to use on Ms. Grangers wounds, he brought us food, and when faced with the dark lord in battle he threw his wand to me. You cannot punish a boy for the sins of the father”
“Be that as it may Mr. Potter, he is still a death eater” Umbridge seethed
“An unwilling one.” I spat back
“One nonetheless and that makes him Guilty!”
“I distinctly remember you within Voldemort's ranks, surely if he is a death eater so are you!”
“There is no mark on my skin, I do not remember Ever being involved in the Dark Lords ranks. If I was I was under the imperius curse Mr. Potter”
“You’re lying Dolores” I whispered
“This is of no consequence Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy is yet to tell us whether he himself deems himself guilty”
“How can he possibly be guilty if the crimes are not his?” I asked
“It was his wand that allowed the death eater ranks into Hogwarts castle!” Dolores’s voice went up an octave.
“It was also his wand that slew the Dark Lord” I retorted.
“He cursed a Hogwarts student and gave them a cursed necklace to give to the headmaster!” I saw Malfoys head drop just a fraction.
“It never made it to the headmaster and Katie Bell stands in opposition to this trial. Don’t believe me? She’s right there in the stands, ask her yourself” I pointed upwards to a girl sitting with her eyes wide in the stands shaking her head and looking directly at Umbridge. I had been busy prior to going out last night. Busy collecting people who opposed what she was trying to accomplish with Malfoy, and would attempt to accomplish with all Slytherin students that didn’t apparate out of the dungeons that day. It didn’t matter that half of them had stood with us, had fought against their own families, that nearly all of the Slytherin house didn’t give a shit about blood purity and was simply afraid. Hiding behind the stereotype so that they might be left alone, might be able to keep their families safe from Voldemort's clutches.
“He tried to poison your best friend!” Umbridge began anew, venom in her voice
“And yet Ronald Weasley sits next to Katie Bell in opposition to this trial.”
“He is the reason that Lavender Brown, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Albus Dumbledore are dead!”
I looked at Umbridge once more, I let that monster that was pacing in my ribs rise to the surface.
“Lavender Brown, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Albus Dumbledore all died to ensure the defeat of Voldemort. To insinuate that Draco Malfoy had anything to do with how they died is an insult to their memory. I was there, I saw how they died, and Malfoy was nowhere in sight when they did. Lavender Brown died at the hands of Fenrir Greyback who tore her throat out in the transfiguration courtyard. She died fighting a death eater. Fred Weasley stepped in front of a curse cast by Bellatrix Lestrange to shield his younger sister. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks died hand in hand in an eight on two battle in the astronomy tower. Albus Dumbledore died by his own hand, he placed a cursed ring on his finger and then had Severus Snape kill him in the astronomy tower before we even knew if we could defeat Voldemort. Each and every one of those people who you’ve named died a hero fighting against a dark lord that wanted to take over the world. To reduce the world to ashes, they all made their own choices, they chose to stand against Voldemort and to fight. They did not die at Draco Malfoy's hand!”
“He aided the dark lord's forces!” she screamed
“Under duress” I snapped back. This was getting tedious.
“Do you plead guilty Mr. Malfoy?!”
“He does not!” I roared back
“You are not the accused Mr. Potter” Kingsley sighed. “I suggest we take a small break, have some refreshments before one of you causes an incident” he mutters. I nod once, sharp and fast before stomping back to my seat and watching the court adjourn. I waited until the room was empty aside from Ron and Hermione before walking back to Malfoy.
“You are seven kinds of foolish Potter” he snapped “Did it ever occur to you that I am guilty?! That i deserve to be punished”
“Punish not the children for the crimes of their parents” I muttered
“And what the fuck was that thing with talking inside my head?”
“Yeah I wasn’t sure that would work” I gripped the back of my neck
His head whipped up at me, for the first time since this began he looked at me. I knew there would be no hiding what I am from him, not from Malfoy anyway. Others would believe when I said I'd just grown into my features and got rid of the glasses, others wouldn’t know any better, wouldn’t look below surface level but that’s the thing about enemies. They know you just as well as you know them, they also have to know the body language, the way your mind works, just how far you’re willing to go. Malfoy isn’t stupid, not by a long shot, he was right behind Hermione in school grades wise. I knew he would figure it out, faster than I could cover it up so I didn’t bother.
“You’re different” He murmured
“War changes a person” I shoot back
“Not like that”
“Like what Malfoy?” He looked back down at his feet, his bare feet and shrugged. It was a matter of time, but i would take the reprieve, the less people who know the better it is after all.
“I’ll be back in Malfoy, I’m going to see if I can get Kingsley to drop the charges” I muttered “Stay with him?” I asked my friends, they nodded as I stalked from the room.
Kingsley was in the back office, the door was open like he was expecting me.
“I can’t Harry” He said
“I haven’t actually said anything yet” I countered
“You’re going to ask me to drop the charges against the Malfoy boy, I can’t. Believe me I want to but I can’t”
“Why?”
“Because everyone has seen the marred flesh of his left arm, everyone has heard the charges that he’s accused of, I can’t back down without causing too many issues, and I can’t force Delores down either, she’s the head of the new security division” He put his head in his hands
“I’m a figurehead Harry, I have no real power. I can’t do shit!”
I nodded, and stomped my unhappy ass back into the courtroom. I shook my head as I walked back in.
“Kingsley can’t do shit, apparently his power is dwindling, the new security division has the ministry by the fucking bollocks” I grumbled.
“Told you it was pointless potter” Malfoy muttered and I shook my head again.
“Yeah we’re going to walk out of here”
“Harry you can’t just take him and walk out” Hermione sighed
“Watch me.” I growled.
They didn’t get a chance to say anything else before the council and all their lovely members walked back in.
“Right this trial is now back in session, Mr. Malfoy, how do you plead?” Kingsley asked, his eyes locking onto mine for the briefest moment.
“He pleads nothing.” I spoke over Malfoy “He pleads nothing because this trial is a sham, You aren’t interested in anything other than a guilty verdict” My eyes flicked to Umbridge. “He has done nothing wrong, he pleads nothing”
“He is guilty!” Umbridge snarled
I lifted my left hand, the scars pale but still there
“I must not tell lies” I whispered, twisting my hand behind my back. I heard the chains holding Malfoy clank to the floor as I stepped back, grabbed onto him and did what no-one thought was possible. I apparated out of the ministry and straight into Potter Manor.