Yes, I’m back again with the final part of the Thorny Rose trilogy. Well, this was a strange one to write! Despite having the whole thing planned out in some detail before I typed the first word, it still managed to surprise me in places. Unlike TR2 where I had to scrap most of my literary detours, the ones in this story all made the cut.
I will be continuing my habit of showing Harry and Ginny as typical British teenagers, so expect a lot of sex, violence and underage drinking in this. Ah, it all reminds me of my teenage years. Apart from the sex, of course.
I’m delighted to say that Arnel is back on board and she really did the fastest beta job on this that I’ve ever seen! You really wouldn’t believe that were separated by thousands of miles and a huge time difference. Thanks, Arnel!
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The Thorny Rose 3: A Spring Clean for the May Queen | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance Warnings: Intimate Sexual Situations, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 127 Summary: The third and final part of the Thorny Rose trilogy. Voldemort is again without a body, Ron has vanished and our favourite couple now know the contents of the prophecy. More importantly, Sirius is getting married. What will Harry and Ginny do now to finally put the Wizarding World to rights. Hitcount: Story Total: 49790; Chapter Total: 5373 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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It was one of those perfect summer’s days that occurs all too infrequently in England. The sun was shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky, but the temperature was not unbearable by any means. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the tree Ginny was lying under and cooled her brow. The air carried the scent of meadow flowers and freshly cut grass. It was a day that practically cried out for you to do nothing but find a comfortable spot and let the hours drift blissfully away. A soft pair of lips gently pressed to her forehead caused Ginny to crack open one eye. She saw Harry smiling at her and she leaned in to claim a more substantial kiss before resting her head against his chest again. She sighed contentedly at the feel of his strong arm wrapped around her and the sound of his heart beating in his chest. If anyone was ever to ask her to describe what an absolutely perfect moment would be for her, this would be it. “What are you thinking about?” Harry asked softly. It was the first words either of them had spoken in over an hour. They’d been happy to just lie under this tree in each other’s arms. “Just how much I love this,” she replied. “Just the two of us here. No evil Dark Lords, no corrupt Ministry officials and no meddling old Headmasters. Just us. Why?” “You had the most contented smile on your face,” Harry said warmly. “You looked so happy. Not to mention radiantly beautiful, of course.” Ginny opened her eyes and smirked at him. “Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we? Is someone hoping to get lucky just because my parents aren’t here?” “Miss Weasley!” he exclaimed with mock outrage. “How dare you suggest I would take advantage of your parents’ hospitality and trust in me by ravaging their only daughter as soon as their backs are turned. That said, if you feel like a bit of skinny-dipping in the river, I’m up for it.” “I bet you are,” she laughed. “Tempting as that sounds, I don’t know when mum will be back, so we’d better not. You’ll just have to wait and sneak into my bedroom again tonight.” “Is that the rule? When you stay at Grimmauld Place you have to sneak into my bedroom, but when I stay here at the Burrow I have to sneak into yours?” he asked in amusement. “Of course,” she replied pompously. “It’s only good manners, don’t you know?” Harry gently chucked, but then frowned. “Are your parents still having no luck in finding Ron?” he asked carefully. “No, there’s been no sign of him,” she admitted. Ever since her brother ran away, she’d been carrying a massive burden of guilt around with her. It had been her manoeuvrings that had deepened the rift between Harry and Ron that had ultimately caused her brother to make some rash and ill-advised choices. Her angry remark about Ron ‘no longer being a Weasley’ had probably thrown fuel on the fire, too. To make things worse, they had yet to tell her parents about Ron’s attempt to take blood from Harry, and Ginny doubted that they would take it well. “It’s not your fault,” Harry insisted, correctly guessing what she was thinking. “If anything, it’s my fault for not trying to repair our friendship harder. If I’d just tried talking to Ron…” “No, Harry, don’t you dare try taking the blame for this,” Ginny told him firmly. “It was my manipulation that widened the split between you two and my words that finally drove him away.” “Maybe, but you didn’t start this, did you? It was Ron that flew into a strop when I said I didn’t enter myself in the Triwizard Tournament, and he was responsible for making the choices that he did,” Harry replied. “I know you’re right, but… I just wish I could talk to him again, you know?” Ginny said sadly. “Actually, I hate to say it, but I’m starting to think that Ron running away was a good thing,” Harry admitted hesitantly. “What? How can you believe that?” Ginny asked sharply. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I’ve tried to put myself in his shoes,” Harry explained. “Ron made a lot of bad choices and he’s alienated just about everyone he called a friend. I know that if I was in his position I wouldn’t want to face anyone knowing what I’d done. In his letter, he said that he wanted to get his head straight and he’s not going to be able to do that if he’s suffering from a huge wave of guilt every time he looks at you or me. Heaven knows, I’ve just wanted to run away enough times in the past, and I think he needs that space from everyone before he can pull himself back together.” “But will he be alright? Ron’s never had to look after himself before, and I don’t think he even knows how to. What will he do for money? How will he eat?” she asked despondently. “I don’t know, but I do think he’ll be up for the challenge. He needs to learn to stand on his own two feet and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks of him. When he doesn’t let his emotions get in the way, Ron’s got a good head on his shoulders. I think he’ll do alright, and when he does come back, he’ll be stronger and wiser for the experience,” Harry said decisively. Ginny shook her head and smiled at her boyfriend. “You amaze me, sometimes,” she told him. “After everything Ron has done to you, you’re still rooting for him, aren’t you?” “He was my best friend, Ginny,” Harry said quietly. “I can’t just throw that away.” She nodded and decided to change the subject. “Are you all ready for the trial tomorrow?” she asked. “We’ll finally get the chance to have Lucius bloody Malfoy locked up for good.” “Yeah, and Fudge won’t be able to just pardon him this time,” Harry snorted in amusement. Fudge was hanging onto his political career by the skin of his teeth as more and more damning information was coming to light about him every day. For the Minister to try and get involved in the case would be suicidal. “Do you think it’s time we gave old Fudgy the final push?” Ginny asked in glee. “All we have to do is release that information that Percy and Audrey found and it’s bye-bye Cornelius.” “Let’s wait until we get everybody together after the trial before we decide,” Harry insisted. “We need to figure out how we want to play this.” “Are you still going to tell Sirius and the others about the prophecy like you planned?” she asked nervously. “Yeah, they all deserve to hear it,” Harry replied. “Besides, it’s not like it’s going to be a huge surprise to everyone. We practically guessed what it was going to say even before we opened that damn orb.” They had rescued the orb containing the prophecy from the Ministry undamaged just a few weeks before and, as soon as they had been alone, they had opened it. It had confirmed that Harry had the power to vanquish Voldemort, but precious little else. Frankly, neither of them could understand why Dumbledore was so adamant that Harry shouldn’t hear it. “Even so, it’s going to come as a shock to some people. I dread to think how Hermione’s going to take the news,” Ginny said apprehensively. “I’m sure it’s pretty much what she’ll be expecting,” Harry disagreed. “She’s probably worked out what the prophecy says already.” “You’re probably right,” Ginny conceded. “I’m starting to get hungry. Do you want to head inside and grab some lunch?” “Sounds like a good idea,” Harry agreed. Hand in hand, they headed back to the Burrow and entered the kitchen. Molly was once again out searching for her missing son and as the twins had recently moved into their own flat in Diagon Alley, the house was deserted. They rummaged about in the pantry before deciding neither of them could be bothered to cook anything. As Mrs Weasley had baked a mouth-watering loaf of crusty bread the day before, they settled for a Ploughman’s lunch. They had just finished eating when Mrs Weasley herself stepped through the door. “Hello, Mum,” Ginny greeted her. “Any luck?” “No, not a sign of him,” Molly replied wearily before sitting down heavily on the nearest chair. “I’m starting to run out of places to look. It’s like he’s vanished off the face of the planet.” “Would you like a cup of tea, Mrs Weasley?” Harry asked. “We only just put the kettle on.” “You’re very kind, Harry, I’d love a cup,” Molly said fondly. Harry instantly leapt to his feet to make the drink while Ginny eyed her mother apprehensively. “You know, I expect Ron will turn up when he’s good and ready,” she ventured. “He probably just has a lot on his mind and needed somewhere quiet to think.” Molly’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you haven’t told me about your brother’s disappearance?” she asked intently. Ginny bit her bottom lip. Should she tell her mother the real reason Ron ran away? Would it help in any way, or just make her mother feel worse? “There you go,” Harry said, setting a steaming mug of tea down in front of Mrs Weasley. “Thank you, dear, you’re very kind. Now, would you be a love and pop off for a bit? I’d like to talk to my daughter alone,” Molly asked with a quiet intensity. “Oh, I’ll… err, go and take a bath, I guess,” Harry mumbled in surprise. “That’s a good idea. There should be plenty of hot water,” Molly replied with a rather forced smile. Harry vanished up the stairs leaving an anxious Ginny behind. Molly continued to stare at her intently until Ginny began to fidget under her stern gaze. “Your tea’s getting cold,” she said lamely. “I asked you a question, Ginny,” Molly said. “Please, I’m begging you, what happened to make Ron run away?” The fact that her mother was begging her was a huge shock to Ginny. She’d fully expected her mum to start screaming and threatening her to get her to talk. A surge of guilt and sadness filled Ginny. She knew now she had no choice other than to tell her mother everything. “Ron made some… bad choices, Mum,” Ginny began nervously. “He started listening to people he shouldn’t have.” “What do you mean? Who was he listening to?” Molly asked insistently. “It appears last summer he wasn’t spending all his time at Longbottom Manor,” Ginny explained. “He also paid several visits to Malfoy Manor, too.” “The Malfoys? No, I don’t believe it! Ron would never have anything to do with those foul people,” Molly said indignantly. “It appears Draco Malfoy approached Ron sometime after the end of the Triwizard Tournament and pretended to be sympathetic to him. Draco then started spewing a load of lies about Harry and I’m afraid Ron was in just the frame of mind to take them at face value. Draco then told him that he had a plan to discredit Harry and Ron saw this as his chance for revenge,” Ginny said. “Revenge? Why did he feel the need for revenge? Just how bad did things get between Ron and Harry?” Molly asked. “Pretty bad, and me starting to date Harry only made things worse. Ron was convinced Harry was a liar and a cheat and he was determined to show him up. He’d already tried to use his Prefects badge to throw his weight around, but that got him nowhere,” Ginny continued, pausing to note the look of guilt on her mother’s face when she’d mention Ron’s Prefect status. “Anyway, I think Ron was just getting angrier and angrier. From his perspective, Harry had gotten everything he wanted: nice new clothes, a big, fancy house to live in, me, of course. Ron was getting more frustrated and when Draco said he had information that would make Harry a public laughing stock, Ron jumped at the chance to help.” “What information? Why on earth would Ron believe anything that dreadful boy says?” Molly asked in an agitated voice. “He wasn’t thinking straight. He was letting his anger and jealousy rule his head,” Ginny noted sadly. “Needless to say, this supposed scandalous information was complete tripe. Draco claimed that James Potter wasn’t Harry’s real father and that Lily was a tramp who slept around.” “But Harry’s the spitting image of his father,” Molly objected. “I only met James a couple of times, but he could have used Harry’s face as a mirror. Besides, Harry’s birth records would have been checked when he entered Hogwarts.” “I did say Ron wasn’t thinking straight, didn’t I?” Ginny pointed out. “Malfoy produced a fake birth certificate, and convinced Ron that all they needed before they went public was a sample of Harry’s blood so they could prove his parentage.” “Ron tried to take some of Harry’s blood? But why would Malfoy want it?” Molly gasped in horror. “You remember that Harry was kidnapped by that ex-Death Eater at the end of the tournament who tried to enact some ritual to resurrect You-Know-How? Well, we think it was for something similar,” Ginny explained, skirting around the truth. “Luckily, Neville got wind of Ron’s misguided plans and wanted no part in it. He tipped us off and we managed to ambush Ron just as he was about to hex Harry while he was in the shower. Ron can’t keep a secret to save his life, and he soon admitted what he was trying to do. Naturally, we pointed out what a pile of crap everything Draco had told him was, and he realised how close he’d come to doing the Death Eaters’ work for them. Ron realised what a fool he’d been and he was devastated.” Molly sat back in her chair and let out a choked sob. “I never dreamed things could be this bad,” she moaned. “Why didn’t you tell me all this sooner?” “It hardly casts Ron in a good light, does it?” she pointed out. “But why didn’t you report this to a teacher as soon as it happened?” Molly demanded. “We couldn’t decide what to do about it,” Ginny admitted. “I was furious at Ron and said some very nasty things to him. I think Harry just felt sorry for him. In the end, we decided to wait until we got home so we could talk it through with you and Sirius. Of course, we weren’t expecting Ron to run away beforehand.” Molly sighed and took a sip of her stewing tea. It was some time before she spoke again. “I suppose I can understand what you did,” she admitted. “It’s always better to keep this sort of thing in the family, isn’t it? But now I understand why Ron ran away. He would have been distraught at finding out he’d been tricked like that. Oh my, what are we going to do now?” “If it’s any consolation, Harry seems to think that Ron will be able to look after himself wherever he’s gone,” Ginny ventured. “I hope he’s right,” Molly sighed. “Well, I’m no closer to finding Ron, but at least I know what all this is about.” “Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Mum, but I just didn’t know how you’d take it,” Ginny said apologetically. “I’m not the ogre you think I am, Ginny,” Molly said disapprovingly. “You should talk to me about these things. I’ve always been sympathetic in the past, haven’t I?” “Sorry,” Ginny murmured contritely. “Well, I don’t suppose knowing any earlier would have helped much,” Molly admitted. “Your father and I aren’t exactly blameless in all this. We really thought that Albus’s idea about giving Ron more responsibility would help, but what we really should have been doing is slapping some sense into him. I should have realised that when Fred and George start acting serious about something, then things are going to be pretty bad.” “Professor Dumbledore isn’t always right, Mum,” Ginny said firmly. “In fact, he seems to be making more and more mistakes in recent years.” “You sound like Sirius,” Molly noted with a smile. “Although I dare say there is an element of truth in what you say. There was a time when I would have followed Albus to the ends of the earth, but lately I’m starting to think that he needs to take things a bit easier. Maybe pass on some of his responsibilities to others.” “I think you’re right,” Ginny nodded. “Can I go now? Harry is never very long in the bath and we said we’d do some studying after lunch.” “Actually, there is one thing I would like to talk about while we’re alone,” Molly said in a strangely neutral voice. “What’s that?” Ginny asked, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous. “When did you and Harry start sleeping together?” Molly asked evenly. “I… what? I mean, we never…” Ginny stuttered in horror. “Ginny, I am your mother. Please do not lie to me,” Molly said wearily. Ginny instantly deflated. Her mother knew and there was no point trying to deny it. “Since last October,” she admitted despondently. “That long? Well, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how disappointed I am in you, Ginny. You’re far too young to be doing things like that. I had hoped I could trust you and Harry together, but I see my hopes were misplaced,” Molly said frostily. “What age were you when you lost your virginity?” Ginny challenged. “Don’t be so disrespectful!” Molly shouted, her temper finally coming to the surface. “My circumstances don’t come into it! The point is I trusted you to behave yourself and you’ve let me down. Really, Ginny, if this gets out, what sort of reputation do you think you’ll get?” “It doesn’t matter, Mum, because I know what Harry thinks about me and he’s the only one that matters,” she retorted hotly. “Harry and I are going to be together forever, so everyone else can sod off as far as I’m concerned.” “How can you possibly know that?” Molly challenged. “You’re not even fifteen yet, Ginny. How could you possibly know the two of you will always be together? Some other boy could turn your head at any time.” “No, Mum,” Ginny said passionately. “Harry is it for me. I’m never going to find a better match and I know he feels the same way. We’re just… right together. Please don’t ask me to explain.” Molly’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her daughter. “How can you be so sure?” she asked suspiciously. “Ginny, when you look at other witches and wizards, do see anything unusual about them?” “What do you mean?” she questioned, surprised that her mother had asked the question. “You know exactly what I mean. You can read magical auras, can’t you?” Molly exclaimed, pride in her voice. “Yes, I can. How did you know?” Ginny asked in amazement. “Aura reading is a talent that Prewett women have had for generations,” her mother explained. “But why have you never told me about this? I thought it was just something I could do! I had no idea half of your family could do it, too” Ginny said exasperation. “Not every Prewett witch has the talent. It often skips generations. Normally, it starts manifesting itself in the teenage years, and as you showed no signs of having any skills in that area, I assumed that was what had happened to you,” Molly explained. “I’ve been able to read auras since I was ten,” Ginny told her. “When I first set eyes on Harry on the platform at King’s Cross I knew we were compatible.” “That early? My word, but you always were precocious,” Molly smiled. “But why did you give no indication of your talent? Prewett witches have acted as matchmakers for hundreds of years, but I’ve never once heard you say anything to suggest you had a flair for that sort of thing. Why, by the time I’d left Hogwarts I’d paired up dozens of couples, myself included.” “I never felt the need to get involved in other peoples’ lives,” Ginny shrugged. “If any of my friends asked my opinion on someone, I’d always answer them honestly, but I didn’t go out of my way to pair people up. Wouldn’t that be a bit… intrusive?” “I suppose it depends on your point of view,” Molly disagreed. “Most people would want to know who their perfect partner was, or at least if the relationship they were in was doomed. If a friend of yours married someone you knew was wrong for them, and five years down the line they ended up not getting on with their partner, don’t you think they would be unhappy you didn’t warn them?” “In my experience most people won’t listen if you do try and warn them,” Ginny noted. “They’re normally so happy to be with someone that they get angry if you tell them that person is wrong for them.” “That can definitely happen sometimes,” Molly agreed. “You just have to be careful how you break the news to them. Anyway, if you want another piece of advice, I wouldn’t mention any of this to Harry.” “What? Why? You must see that we’re right for each other,” Ginny protested. “Oh, I do, my love, I do. In fact, I thought that at roughly the same time you did. No, I’m not discouraging you to be with him. Heavens, why do you think I’m so calm about you sleeping with him? Trust me, if it had been any other boy you wouldn’t have seen daylight until you came of age!” Molly huffed. “No, I’m simply suggesting you don’t tell him about how matched your auras are. Some boys get a bit… resentful if you suggest that they should be with one specific witch for the rest of their lives. Even if they might have thought it themselves, the male of the species can be rather stubborn and hate being forced to do things, even if it’s what they secretly want anyway.” “Harry already knows, Mum,” Ginny said happily. “It took him quite a while to get use to the idea, but he’s committed to our relationship as much as I am now.” “Really? My word, but I suppose Harry has always been rather mature for his years. Everything the poor lad has had to go through has forced him to grow-up quickly, I suppose,” Molly said sadly. “Even so, Ginny, please don’t take this as an open invitation for the two of you to do whatever you want. I expect decent standards of behaviour from the pair of you. You have been taking precautions, haven’t you?” “Yes, Mum. I’ve been taking the Potion and I know the Morning-After Charm as a backup,” she replied in embarrassment. A thought then occurred to her. “Mum? As you know that Harry and I are almost certainly going to be together, would you have any objections to formalising the arrangement?” “What do you mean? Do mean a Betrothal Agreement?” Molly asked in surprise. “Yes, Sirius was telling Harry how he nearly got entered into one once,” Ginny explained. “I think something like that would be perfect for the two of us.” “I hardly see the need for it, Ginny,” Molly protested. “What’s the rush?” Ginny paused. She would have to be careful exactly what she told her mother. The real reason she was so keen on the idea was that with a Betrothal Agreement in place they could legally undertake a Soul Bond Ritual without further parental agreement. It was a little known clause that Tom Riddle had discovered while researching Soul Magic. Tom had been fascinated with pure-blood etiquette and behaviour, and that’s why it had stuck in her mind. But what to tell her mother? “You know that there have been several attempts to slip Harry love potions, don’t you?” she said, inspired by her run-in with Romilda Vane last term. “Harry’s a rich, handsome wizard and a lot of girls have their eyes on him.” “What? The shameless hussies! They ought to be expelled for that sort of behaviour,” Molly exclaimed angrily. “Ahem, didn’t you say you’d mixed up a love potion or two when you were a girl?” Ginny smirked. “Yes, but that wasn’t to net some poor, unsuspecting wizard against his will,” Molly protested. “It was to put a bit of spark back into existing relationships.” “Alright, Mum,” Ginny smiled, “but unfortunately there are a lot of young witches out there with looser morals than you. I know Harry’s a bit worried about it; Sirius, too. In fact, I heard Sirius talking about whether he should consider betrothing Harry to protect him from that sort of thing.” “Well, it would certainly do that,” Molly agreed. “Slipping a love potion to someone party to a Betrothal Agreement is a criminal offense. The person would be looking at serious gaol time. Not to mention the actual agreement would be magically binding and generally protects the participants from outside interference. Even so, Ginny, this would be a huge step. Do you really think it’s necessary?” “You know how much Sirius holds by the old ways,” Ginny lied. “It would break our hearts if Sirius felt compelled to enter into such an agreement with some other Noble House.” “Oh, I don’t think Sirius would do that,” Molly disagreed. “At least, I don’t think he would. Look, if you’re really sure about this then I’ll talk to you father tonight. I don’t think he approves of Betrothal Agreements at all, but I know he thinks the world of Harry and is very happy the two of you are together. I’ll see what he says.” “Thanks, Mum,” Ginny said, leaping out of her seat and embracing her mother. From this point the agreement was a forgone conclusion. If her mother was on her side, then her dad would soon crumble. Molly just hugged her daughter happily, obviously pleased that what she’d feared would be a difficult conversation between them had gone so well. As her mother busied herself in the kitchen, Ginny practically bounced up the stairs to find Harry. From the sound of it he was still in the bathroom, so she decided to surprise him. Carefully, she tried the handle on the bathroom door and was pleased to find it unlocked. She slowly pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of Harry standing with his back to her, examining his face in the bathroom mirror. He’d apparently just stepped out of the bath and had yet to put any clothes on. “Well, that’s a smashing view,” she commented. Harry jumped and spun around to face her in alarm. “Although this view is even better,” she grinned. “Ginny! What are you doing in here? Is your mother still downstairs?” Harry asked in a panic. “Yes, but don’t worry. She’s preparing dinner for tonight and nothing interrupts her when she’s doing that,” Ginny smirked. “Actually, I’ve got something important to tell you that couldn’t wait.” “Really? It couldn’t wait or you just wanted to spy on me in the nude?” Harry asked grinning. “Oh, that was just an added bonus,” she laughed. “No, I really have got something important to say to you.” “What?” he asked folding his arms and looking at her in amusement. An idea occurred to her that would knock that smug grin right of his face. “Harry, you know the Weasley’s are quite a progressive, modern family who don’t always hold with doing things the traditional way?” she asked carefully. “I’m fully aware of that, thank you,” he laughed. “Good, because I’m going to flout an establish tradition right now and I want you to be prepared,” Ginny told him. “Okay, I’m intrigued now. What tradition is this?” he asked, amusement written all over his face. “Well, I’ve just had a chat with Mum and I think there’s a good chance that she’ll agree to us being entered into a Betrothal Agreement. If we do that, then we can perform the Soul Bond with no legal repercussions, at all. Of course, it does mean that we’ll have to get married shortly after we both become of age, so…” Taking a deep breath, Ginny took a couple of steps towards him before dropping down onto one knee. She looked up at him intently. “Harry Potter, I love you deeply. Will you do me the honour of being my husband?” she asked calmly. Harry started to laugh, but there must have been something in her voice that caused him to stop. The grin faded from his lips and his eyes widened in surprise. “Are… are you… serious?” he asked in amazement. “I’ve never been more serious in my life,” she replied, her eyes never leaving his. Harry stared at her in wonder. He licked his lips and his jaw worked silently as he seemed to be struggling to speak. He broke their gaze for a moment before looking back down at her. “Yes,” he said simply. Ginny leapt to her feet and flung herself at him, ignoring the fact he was still wet. She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him more passionately than she had ever done before. Somehow, they remembered to close the bathroom door before she joined Harry in a second, impromptu bath. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP “Silence ! The Wizengamot is now in session. Due to the sensitive nature of this trial it will be a closed session and no reporters or members of the public are permitted to attend. Madam Amelia Bones will be presiding,” a stuffy voice called out. Ginny looked up in fascination as a stern, square-jawed witch took her seat at the top of the courtroom. Arranged in a semi-circle around her were the fifty-odd members of the Wizengamot. Albus Dumbledore, she noted, had already taken his seat in a high-backed chair overlooking the court. The woman settled herself before addressing the room. “We are here today to conduct the trial of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, who stands accused of being a member of a banned organisation, treason against the Ministry of Magic, breaking into a restricted area and criminal damage. Additional charges will likely follow if he is convicted on the first count. In addition, it is hoped…” “I demand that this trial be stopped!” cried a loud voice, halting Madam Bones in the middle of her announcement. “Minister Fudge, what is the meaning of this?” Bones asked in an irritated voice. “May I remind you that you have no active part in this trial?” Fudge had risen to his feet and was looking around the court with a self-important expression on his face. “As Minister for Magic, I demand this trial be halted at once!” he bellowed. “Lucius Malfoy is a respected member of the magical community and was obviously being forced against his will to break into the Ministry. As he was under the effects of the Imperius Curse, he cannot be held responsible for his actions and should be released immediately.” “Minister, you forget yourself,” Bones replied in a cold voice. “The whole point of this trial is to establish if Mr Malfoy was indeed under the effects of the Imperius Curse. Due process of law must be carried out to determine this and you, no matter what your status, cannot circumvent it. Now, please, sit down and let us get on.” Fudge’s face crumbled and he sank back into his seat. Ginny couldn’t help but smile at the expression of hopelessness that came onto his features. “Fudgy must be getting desperate if he thought that would work,” Sirius noted quietly from where he was sitting on the other side of Harry. “Yeah, what an idiot,” Harry agreed. Ginny was about to add her opinion, but Madam Bones started to speak again. “Let it be noted that Minister Fudge attempted to halt these proceedings — illegally,” Bones noted. The court scribe, who just happened to be Percy Weasley, gleefully recorded the details. For a second, Percy looked up and caught Ginny’s eye. She winked at him and he returned his attention to his notes with a small smile on his face. Fortunately, Percy had not been implicated in the events that occurred at the Ministry several weeks ago. He had, after all, a legitimate reason for being in the building that day. Likewise, no one had thought to question the mysterious group of diplomats from the German Ministry that had been visiting the same day. They had vanished shortly after the Aurors had arrived and no one had given them a second thought. “Now, if there are no more interruptions, we can proceed,” Madam Bones declared. “Call to the witness stand Lucius Malfoy.” Malfoy was immediately dragged from the bench where he had been sitting by two Aurors. He was roughly shoved into a chair in the centre of the court room and chains instantly appeared to secure him. Another wizard stepped forward holding a small bottle in his hand and he looked expectantly up at Madam Bones. “Administer the Veritaserum,” Bones instructed him. The two Aurors grabbed Malfoy’s head and forced his mouth open. The third wizard then carefully measured three drops of the liquid from his bottle into the struggling man’s mouth. After a few seconds, Malfoy ceased struggling and the Ministry wizards hastily took seats on a bench nearby. “What is your name?” Bones asked the now calm prisoner. “Lucius Abraxas Malfoy,” he replied without hesitation. “What is your current place of residence?” Bones asked, clearly asking some control questions first. “Malfoy Manor, near Avebury in Wiltshire,” responded instantly. “Can you tell the court what you were doing in the main Ministry building on Saturday, the second of May, nineteen-ninety six?” she demanded. “My Lord had instructed me that the Potter brat was going to be in the Ministry that day and I was instructed to capture him, kill any companions he had with him and, if possible, retrieve the copy of the prophecy made about him from the Department of Mysteries. As I was informed that Potter would be trying to obtain the prophecy himself, myself and eleven of my colleagues arranged to ambush him when he made the attempt. While I was successful in springing my ambush, Potter and his godfather somehow managed to set off an alarm and then escape. We pursued him, but we were ambushed in turn by a group I didn’t recognise. I duelled with Potter and his little red-haired whore, but was badly injured. Under cover of the fighting, I managed to escape, but Potter noticed me leaving and came after me. He caught up with me in the Atrium and managed to trap me underneath the rubble of a statue he blasted to pieces. My Lord intervened at that point, and I was convinced that Potter was going to be killed, but somehow he managed to resist him and then cut off his head. I was quite amazed, as you can imagine.” Malfoy had delivered his speak in a calm, aristocratic voice. The effects of his words, however, were anything but calm. For a few seconds the whole of the Wizengamot was reduced to a stunned silence before the room erupted into a cacophony of confused questions and angry shouting. “SILENCE!” Madam Bones bellowed and it said much about her forceful personality that the room did start to quieten down slightly. “Shit!” Ginny cursed. “I really thought the line of questioning would be more specific. I hadn’t counted on Malfoy mentioning the bloody prophecy.” “It’s unfortunately, but not a disaster,” Sirius hissed urgently. “When Harry’s questioned he’ll have to admit he was looking for the prophecy, but as no one knows exactly what it says it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” “Err, well, that’s not exactly true,” Harry said shamefaced. “Ginny and I managed to retrieve the prophecy and we listened to it as soon as we got back from school.” “What!” Sirius shouted, but fortunately there was still enough noise in the room that no one really noticed. He bit his lip and continued at a reduced volume. “Why am I only hearing about this now? Didn’t either of you think that this might come up at the hearing? And more to the point, what are you hiding? Why didn’t you tell me about this?” “Sorry, Sirius,” Harry said contritely. “We were actually going to tell everyone the exact wording later today when we all met up at Grimmauld Place. We didn’t think it was a big deal. The prophecy basically just says what we thought it would; that I have to vanquish Voldemort.” “The big deal is that before you had plausible denial! They are bound to question you using Veritaserum now, and you won’t have a choice other than to tell everyone everything! Gah! I can’t believe you two could be so stupid!” Sirius moaned. “We’re sorry, Sirius, but every trial the Ministry has undertaken before were all over in a flash. We expected to basically hear Malfoy being sentenced, not properly interrogated,” Ginny admitted. “You see that woman up there doing the questioning? That’s Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement! One of the few competent, un-corruptible people in the whole of the bloody Ministry. That woman is tenacious! The Wizengamot specifically appointed her to run this trial because they knew she wouldn’t put up with any of Fudge’s nonsense and wouldn’t stop until she got right to the bottom of everything,” Sirius explained in exasperation. “We didn’t know!” Ginny protested. “If we’d realised the Ministry were going to use someone decent to run this thing, we would never have listened to the bloody thing!” “We are in deep shit,” Sirius mumbled. “ORDER! ORDER!” Bones yelled and this time managed to silence the members of the Wizengamot. She turned back to Malfoy. “You referred to someone as ‘my Lord’ several times; who were you referring to?” she asked. “Why, my Lord Voldemort, of course,” Lucius replied, seeming surprised that he should even be asked such a question. Once again the room exploded into pandemonium. It was several minutes before Madam Bones managed to gain control again. “Voldemort was killed in October nineteen eighty-one in a failed attempt to kill Harry Potter,” Bones challenged Malfoy as soon as she had established quiet. “How could he possibly have been at the Ministry just a few weeks ago?” “I must confess, I thought he had been killed then, too,” Malfoy said conversationally. “It appears that only his body was destroyed that night, and he managed to survive in spirit form. I knew nothing of this until about six months ago, when a large, fearsome-looking snake managed to enter Malfoy Manor. Imagine my surprise when the creature spoke to me and claimed to be my former master! I was, of course, sceptical until he entered my mind…” For a second Malfoy drifted off and a look of discomfort appeared on his face, like he was recalling some particularly unpleased experience. He shook his head and continued. “The snake, it turned out, was my Lord’s familiar who he had possessed after the botched attempt last year to provide him with a human body by that idiot Pettigrew and that lunatic Crouch. If I had been entrusted with the mission I am sure Potter would be dead by now and you would have all been on your knees before my Lord.” “So, when Potter was kidnapped at the end of the Triwizard Tournament it was in a genuine attempt to bring Voldemort back?” Bones demanded. “Quite so, but clearly Pettigrew couldn’t be trusted to handle one miserable little schoolboy,” Malfoy confirmed loftily. Ginny happened to glance up at the seats arranged at the top of the court and noticed Dumbledore smiling in satisfaction at Malfoy’s words. Dumbledore would, of course, be vindicated by this confession, she realised in annoyance. “Where is Voldemort now?” Bones asked the prisoner in a grim voice. “I really don’t know,” Malfoy admitted. “Potter managed to cut the head off the snake during the battle at the Ministry, so I suspect he might be gone for good this time. My Lord did admit that he was only able to possess the snake so efficiently because of his close relationship to the creature.” “What of the others that accompanied you to the Ministry? Are they Death Eaters or were they forced to take part?” Bones asked. “They were Death Eaters, of course,” Malfoy replied in amusement. “You can’t force someone to take the Dark Mark, even by using the Imperius Curse. The Mark binds a wizard’s magic to the service of the Dark Lord, and that cannot be done under duress. No, that story about me being under the Imperius Curse was a fabrication to allow me to escape Azkaban. I’m amazed that idiot Fudge ever believed it for a second.” Glancing over at the bench where the Ministry officials were seated, Ginny saw Cornelius Fudge slump back into his seat with a defeated look on his face. There was a man, she realised, that knew his career was all but finished. “Are you saying that anyone bearing a Dark Mark was a willing follower of Voldemort?” Bones pressed. “Indeed, and, in fact, had to earn the right to obtain the Mark. I myself killed three Muggles to prove I was worthy of such an honour. All marked Death Eaters would have had to perform a similar task,” Malfoy said smugly. A ripple of anger passed through the court. “Apart from the Death Eaters caught alongside you, have any others escaped justice and are at large now?” Bones asked. “Oh, yes. We even started inducting new recruits following my Lord’s return,” Malfoy admitted cheerfully. “You will list the names of all Death Eaters, alive or dead, that you are aware of. Is that clear?” Bones snapped. “Quite clear,” Malfoy confirmed and began to recite a long list of names to the court. Ginny grinned as the name ‘Severus Snape’ came up. “Oooh, Dumbledore’s not going to like that,” smirked Sirius. “Yeah, that wiped the smile of the old goat’s face,” Harry agreed. Eventually, Lucius ran out of names. Attention was somewhat divided in the room, however, as a couple of people he had mentioned were serving members of the Wizengamot and as soon as their names had been given out, quick witted Aurors had leapt on them immediately. There was a certain amount of shouting and the odd thrown punch, but eventually the pair were dragged down to the courtroom floor and their left arms bared. The sight of the familiar skull and snake tattoo was enough to ensure they were immediately handcuffed and led away. “Madam Bones, the Veritaserum will be wearing off shortly,” called the wizard who had administered it. Madam Bones nodded. “I think we have enough. Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, by your own admission you have been found guilty of the crimes of which you stand accused. It is clear, however, that we have only begun to scratch the surface of your misdeeds and, as a consequence, you are to be remanded in the Ministry’s cells for further interrogation. Once we are satisfied the full extent of your foul crimes are known, a date for sentencing will be announced. Take him away.” A dazed Lucius Malfoy was led from the courtroom. “In view of the seriousness of some of the admissions made by Lucius Malfoy, I propose we press straight on,” Madam Bones declared. “I therefore call Harry James Potter to take the witness stand.” Ginny looked over at her boyfriend in alarm. His jaw was tense and his eyes hard. “Just do your best, Harry,” she whispered. “You won’t be able to lie, but try to just give simple answers. The Veritaserum will make you want to talk, but try not to elaborate.” Harry nodded tensely and stood up. As he began to make his way forward, he was met by the two Aurors who had escorted Malfoy into the room and led towards the chair in the centre of the room. As soon as Harry sat in the chair the chains that had previously secured Malfoy appeared from out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around his arms and legs. Sirius was on his feet in seconds. “WHY IS MY GODSON BEING RESTRAINED LIKE THAT?” Sirius bellowed. “HE’S NOT A CRIMINAL!” “Calm yourself, Mr Black, this is an error, I assure you,” Madam Bones said hastily before angrily addressing the Aurors. “Release Mr Potter this instant! He’s not the one on trial here.” “But I thought…” began one of the Aurors. “You’re not paid to think,” Bones snapped. “Unless those chains are removed in the next five seconds you will be spending the rest of your career guarding the Ministry’s toilets. Am I clear?” The Aurors nearly fell over themselves in their haste to remove the chains. Once he was released, Harry glared at them while rubbing his sore wrists. “Please accept my apologise, Mr Potter, I assure you those responsible will be reprimanded,” Madam Bones said in an apologetic tone. The Aurors stared contritely at the floor. “That’s alright, Madam Bones,” Harry said politely. “I was a bit worried there for a minute, though.” “I can imagine,” Bones replied with a slight smile. “While I must stress that you have been accused of no crime and are merely here as a witness, the nature of the information provided by Lucius Malfoy means that I must insist that you are questioned using Veritaserum.” “I object!” Sirius yelled, rising to his feet again. “Harry is underage! You can’t make a minor take Veritaserum.” “On the contrary, Mr Black, minors can be given Veritaserum if a presiding judge feels that life will be put in danger if information is withheld. I feel these circumstances fall under that description and therefore, I must insist that Mr Potter takes the potion. I would also ask that in future you restrain yourself from interrupting the court, understandable though your reason are for doing so,” Bones said calmly. Sirius retook his seat, muttering to himself grimly as he did so. Ginny tried to fight her mounting panic. What exactly would Harry be forced to reveal under the effects of the Truth Potion? The wizard who had administered the Veritaserum to Malfoy steeped forward with a bottle in his hand. Harry looked at him warily for a second and then, with a resigned expression on his face opened his mouth. Three drops of the Truth Potion were administered before the wizard rapidly retreated. “What is your name?” Madam Bones asked. “Harry James Potter,” was the immediate response. For a second Bones hesitated, and Ginny was fearful she would ask Harry his address. She had no idea what would happen when someone party to a Fidelius Charm was asked to reveal where they lived under the effects of Veritaserum, but she suspected it wouldn’t be good. Fortunately, Bones must have suspected there would be a problem with the question and pressed on. “What can you tell me about the events that occurred in the main Ministry building on Saturday, the second of May, nineteen-ninety six?” she asked. “My godfather, Sirius Black, had taken me and my girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, to the Ministry that morning to take the Apparation Test. Unfortunately, the scheduled test was put back, so Sirius took us on a tour of the Ministry instead,” Harry started to explain. Ginny watched him closely and notice that he seemed to be struggling. She suspected he was trying to fight the effects of the potion. “What happened then?” Bones pressed. “We were aware that a trap was probably being laid to try and capture me and steal the prophecy, so we made arrangements for the main alarm to be sounded if there was any trouble and for more Aurors than normally to be on duty,” Harry frowned at this point. “The Aurors were really slow to react once the alarm went off, actually. You should look into their training or something, because they really weren’t much use.” “I’ll bare that in mind,” Bones said coolly. “How did you know an ambush was being set up for you and why didn’t you inform the proper authorities?” “Oh, Malfoy hatched a ridiculously obvious scheme where Ginny’s brother was supposed to have ‘accidentally’ overhead him planning to steal the prophecy. I mean, how dumb does he think we are? However, as the contents of the prophecy had been withheld from me by Albus Dumbledore, we decided to spring the trap in an effort to see if we could get hold of it ourselves.” A collective gasp sounded round the courtroom and every eye turned in the direction of the Chief Warlock. Dumbledore sat impassively giving no visible signs of discomfort. “Chief Warlock, is this true? Were you aware of a prophecy relating to Mr Potter, but refused to divulge the contents of it?” Bones asked, looking back towards Dumbledore. “Quite true, Madam Bones,” Dumbledore replied calmly. “However, I would remind you that Harry is a minor still and, as such, there is no legal requirement for him to be informed of any prophecy. I assure you I intended to make him aware of it after his seventeenth birthday.” “What about his legal guardian? You did have a requirement to inform Mr Black of this. Did you do so?” Bones pressed. “No, I did not,” Dumbledore admitted. “I must confess I quite forgot about it after Sirius took over Harry’s guardianship.” “That’s a lie!” Harry said loudly. “I asked Dumbledore directly about this twice last year, and both times he refused to talk about it.” “Let the court records show that the Chief Warlock is in contempt of court,” Bones declared. “Professor Dumbledore, we will address this matter at a later date, but be aware I do not like being lied to. If I suspect you are anything less than truthful again I will have you arrested. Is that clear?” “Quite clear. Please accept my apologises,” Dumbledore replied, his eyes betraying his frustration. “Now, Mr Potter, were you successful in learning the contents of this prophecy?” bones asked. Harry’s face twitched and he looked to be fighting an internal battle with himself. His mouth opened and closed several times before, in a clear voice, he called out, “Yes.” More muttering broke out amongst the courtroom. “How did you manage to do this?” Bones asked. “We managed to retrieve the orb intact from the Hall of Prophecy,” Harry explained. Ginny glanced at Dumbledore again and noted he had a face like thunder. If the situation wasn’t so serious she would have laughed out loud. “Can you tell us what the prophecy said?” Bones pressed. “No!” Dumbledore shouted. “This is a matter of national security and must not…” “Albus Dumbledore! If I hear one more word from you I will have you arrested on the spot!” Bones raged. “Mr Potter, please continue.” “"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." Harry recited precisely. There was a second of stunned silence before the courtroom again exploded with noise. Ginny looked at Sirius who was wearing a grim expression. They really hadn’t counted on the whole of the Wizarding world knowing this information and she was deeply concerned what the Ministry might do. “Silence!” Bones yelled and the court quietened down surprisingly quickly. Clearly everybody wanted to know what would happen next. “Mr Potter, this is extremely serious,” Madam Bones said sternly. “If you are indeed our only hope for defeating Voldemort, then precautions must be taken. You are in grave danger now this information has become common knowledge.” “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Harry said calmly. Bones stared at him in surprise. “Not worry about it? Didn’t you understand? You are the one destined to defeat the Dark Lord! If this prophecy is to be believed, you hold the very future of the wizarding community in your hands.” “Yeah, but I’ve already vanquished Voldemort, haven’t I? So why worry?” Harry asked. Bones stared at him in stunned silence. “Look, Malfoy said it himself: Voldemort was only able to possess and control that snake so easily because it was his familiar, right? After I blew that thing’s head off, Voldemort became a spirit again. He’s just a wraith at the moment, and if I’ve killed his familiar, how is he going to return? Oh, he might be able to possess some small animal, maybe, but he was pretty weak even before I blasted that snake to bits. I agree with Malfoy, I think he’s gone for good this time,” Harry announced. “He’s right!” an elderly wizard called from one of the benches. “He’s done it again! Harry Potter has saved us all!” A second later every member of the Wizengamot was on their feet, cheering and clapping. Madam Bones desperately called for order, but she was fighting a losing battle as everyone seemed determines to show their appreciation for Harry. Ginny looked over at her boyfriend in confusion. How had he managed to say those things under the effects of Veritaserum? He knew that was a load of bollocks; how had he gotten away with it? As if he had become aware of her questioning gaze, Harry turned his head towards her. One of his eyelids seemed to twitch, and Ginny realised he had just winked at her. A smile came onto her face as she realised what that meant: Harry must have some resistance to Veritaserum! Grinning happily, Ginny leaned back in her seat and watched in amusement as a bunch of old men and women cavorted about like teenagers. |
| Reviews 127 |
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