Early Saturday morning, Harry bid farewell to his friends and left anxiously for Dumbledore’s office with his belongings in tow. Offering the password to the stone gargoyle, he made his way inside to find the headmaster reading his morning owls.
“Good morning, Harry,” Dumbledore said pleasantly. “All set, then?”
“Yes, sir,” Harry nodded in reply.
“Before you leave, Harry “ I just want to let you know that Alex informed me what your stance is on Draco’s situation, and I think it is very noble of you to vouch for his … partial innocence.”
“I’m only doing what is right,” Harry said modestly.
“And that is true bravery,” Dumbledore said sincerely. He smiled for a moment at the young man he had seen grow from a young boy, before turning a picking up a cracked flowerpot from his desk and holding it out to him. “Well, here you are, Harry. Good luck at the trial, keep safe, and give Katie and the Weasleys my best wishes.”
“Thank you, Professor Dumbledore,” Harry said, reaching out and taking hold of the flowerpot. The old man kept count under his breath, and within a few moments, Harry was whisked away from Hogwarts.
Though Harry landed more steadily on the floor of his destination than he had with past Portkeys, he soon felt himself knocked to the ground by a powerful force he identified immediately as Katie.
“Nice to see you, too,” he gasped, the wind knocked out of him.
“Oh, you’re not hurt,” Katie said with an eye roll.
“Well, you would know, being a Trainee Healer and all “ keep up with those quick diagnoses and you’ll be in charge of St. Mungo’s in no time.”
He’d expected to receive some kind of reprimand or quietly violent form of punishment for his smart remark, but instead Katie just looked at him fondly for a moment before laying a breath taking kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the long-awaited feel of holding her once again. Their lips parted and she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she savoured the moment.
“I’ve missed you, so much,” she breathed.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he replied quietly, and held her tighter still.
There was a soft knock on the door of the room, which happened to be the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, and Mrs. Weasley opened the door slowly and peeked in.
“Sorry to disturb you, dears…” she said. “Harry, it’s lovely to see you!”
“You as well, Mrs. Weasley,” he said with a grin.
“Have you had breakfast this morning?” she asked quickly.
“No, not yet…”
“Well, then “ come into the kitchen and I’ll fix you something to eat, and we’ll have a nice chat. I would have been here to greet you, only we were sure Katie was going to pass out from excitement any moment, and decided it would be best to allow her to welcome you herself.”
“You shouldn’t tell him these things, Mrs. Weasley,” Katie chided. “It’ll go to his head.”
“And I’m sure you’re just as able to take him down a few pegs, so we won’t worry about it.”
They shared a small chuckle as they entered the kitchen, already filled with the delicious smell of Mrs. Weasley’s breakfast cooking, and were greeted by a few Order members who were discussing something on their way out.
Mrs. Weasley ushered him into a chair and Katie, who he still had his arm around, sat down right next to him.
“So, how’s school?” Mrs. Weasley asked, bustling around the assorted pots and pans.
“Fine “ difficult, but manageable.”
“Anything interesting happened?”
Immediately, Harry thought of Siobhan’s kiss, Snape’s prophecy and Hermione’s date to the Halloween Ball.
“Nothing worth mentioning…”
She came over, placing a stack of toast and a plate with bacon, sausages, eggs and black pudding in front of him, and took a seat across the table.
“How’s Ron?” she asked biting her lip. “He hasn’t said much in his letters “ and I get the impression he’s not doing so well…”
“Well, the whole situation between him and Hermione had been hard on both of them…”
“What situation?” Mrs. Weasley asked, suddenly looking very worried.
“Er… their break-up?” Harry said.
The concerned mother just blinked in surprise.
“They broke up?” she asked in disbelief.
“You didn’t know?” Harry asked uncomfortably.
“No “ he never said anything… when did this happen?”
“Over a month ago…” Harry said, feeling more uneasy by the moment. Bring more bad news to the already burdened woman was not something he felt good about, and as acceptance washed over Mrs. Weasley, her shock was replaced with a look of heartbreak.
“This is awful…” she said wretchedly. “I know they really cared about each other…”
“And they still do,” Harry consoled. “Things just… I don’t know what happened. Things got too difficult, I suppose.”
“That’s no excuse,” she said waspishly. “We don’t run away when things get difficult.”
Harry and Katie remained quiet while Mrs. Weasley regained control.
“Sorry, dear “ I’ve just been… under so much stress, lately.”
“It’s fine, I understand.”
“You just finish your breakfast, and then you two can spend some time together. I’m sure you’ve missed one another.”
“Yes, we have…” Harry said looking at Katie; he glanced down at the ring on her finger, and she blushed happily. Mrs. Weasley looked at them fondly for a moment, before buzzing out of the kitchen muttering about having ‘a list of things to do.’
“So…” Katie ventured as Harry shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth, and chewed with a stupid looking grin. “You told me last week you have something to talk to me about…”
“Oh, yeah… that.”
“Bad?”
“Why do you always assume it’s something bad?”
“Is it something bad?”
“Well… I suppose it’s not a good thing.”
“So it’s bad, then.”
“Remind me again why I even try…”
“Would you just tell me what’s going on? You’re going to drive me insane.”
“I think you’re already there…”
“Harry…”
He fell quiet as her warning tone, looked at his food and then at the ceiling, thoughts running to his brain as to what would be the best way to phrase what he had to tell her. Feeling her eyes burn into him, he finally heaved a sigh and decided to just be out with it.
“Siobhan kissed me.”
“Excuse me?” Katie said dangerously.
“She kissed me. Halloween night,” he said, bracing his body for pain and shrinking away from her suddenly frightening figure.
“She actually kissed you? On the lips?”
“Yes.”
“How dare she? That little… I was… she… ugh!” Katie jumped up from the table and starting pacing angrily, continuing to ramble nonsensically. “The nerve “ what kind of person does that?”
She turned on Harry, still fearing the wrath she was sure to inflict on him.
“Why did she kiss you?”
“Apparently she fancies me…” Harry said. “But… she knows that we’re together, and she’s not going to try anything “ she just… want to kiss me that one time, I suppose.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“She can be a little odd at times…”
Katie crossed her arms with a frustrated ‘hmph!’ and took her seat again.
“You’re not… mad at me?” Harry barely dared to ask.
“Why would I be mad at you?” she asked in resignation.
“I don’t know… I just assumed…”
“I know you didn’t do anything to lead her on… or anything. I trust you,” Katie said with a smile. “I’m sure you were entirely clueless.”
Harry felt as though he should probably feel insulted by her last remark, but was so relieved that she wasn’t mad at him that he didn’t mind at all. At the risk of being repetitive, he wrapped his arms around her, content to just be near her once more.
“How’re things with your dad?” he asked carefully.
“Not so great. He’s completely wrapped up in this Sphinx Militia business…” Katie said in distress. “Mrs. Weasley has been nice enough to allow me to stay here a lot of the time. It’s easier than being at home and arguing with him over the whole situation. He’s after blood, and I’m worried he’s going to get himself killed over it.”
“Is anyone else from the Order thinking about… going over?”
“Not anyone I know too well. I heard Percy arguing with Mrs. Weasley a week ago, about why the whole thing isn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be “ but he doesn’t seem to right out agree with the Militia. Kingsley, Tonks, Moody “ they’re all dead set against the whole thing.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think they’re vigilantes who assume they know what’s right for the rest of us,” she said angrily. “And all they’re going to do is provoke the Death Eaters and get more people massacred in the process.”
“It will all be over, soon. I promise…”
The morning of the trial was tense. Order members were streaming through headquarters on business, and Mrs. Weasley was simultaneously attempting to feed him, brush off his robes and flatten his hair “ though Harry wondered why she hadn’t given up on the six year battle with his unruly black locks. Katie, who had taken the morning off from work, was sitting quietly beside him, now and then offering soothing remarks.
“Never thought this day would come,” said with slight amusement once they had Apparated and arrived at the Ministry.
“And what day is that?”
“The day you’d be defending Malfoy…”
“He spared your life “ I owe him everything, whether I like it or not. Besides, I’m just going to tell the truth…”
Harry trailed off as he spotted four Ministry guards escorting a chained prisoner he was all too familiar with.
“Pettigrew,” he hissed. “There’s one person I like to see rotting in prison for the rest of his life.”
“And not someone you need to be thinking at the moment…” Katie said, steering him in the other direction.
“Probably transferring him to the vaults…”
“Yes, where I’m positive he’ll ‘rot for life’ as you so nicely put it,” she assured him. “Now, this way “ or we’ll be late…”
“Mr. Harry James Potter, please come forward.”
Katie squeezed Harry’s hand supportively as he stood up and walked through the court, up to the seat placed at the front, nervous as many eyes focused intently on him. As he took his place, he caught sight of the pale-faced and sullen Draco Malfoy.
Having already undergone his magical truth oath, Harry knew they would jump straight into questioning him, and so braced himself, hoping his nerves wouldn’t betray him now. After all - these were simple questions, not killing curses. Suddenly a voice that didn’t come from any clear source spoke loudly to him.
“Mr. Potter, could you please give us testimony of the events that occurred last May as they involve Mr. Malfoy?”
Harry nodded sombrely, more tense now that he could see the faces of each an every person that was watching him carefully.
“Draco helped secure our capture once we arrived inside the building. We.. managed to escape the room they were holding us and most of my friends got out of the building entirely “ but three of us were caught as we were leaving and “ ”
“Please state the names of the two people who remained on the premises with you.”
Harry looked around for the mysterious voice, bewildered, but answered promptly.
“Ginny Weasley and Katie Bell.”
“Thank you. Please continue.”
“I was knocked out in the middle of it, and I woke up in a room with Draco, his father Lucius Malfoy, Katie and Ginny. At that point, Ginny was still alive, but Lucius told me Katie was dead. He then told Draco to… murder Ginny.”
Harry’s voice caught in his throat as he once again forced himself to relive the horrific night; he found Katie’s face in the seats, and felt fortified as he continued.
“Draco stepped forward “ but… he then refused to murder Ginny. He spared her life. I found out later that Katie had not been murdered “ but that Draco had been told to kill her and had instead hit her with a spell to make her appear dead. He saved her life, also.”
“Do the Wizengamot have any questions for the witness?” the puzzling voice spoke again.
“Mr. Potter, correct me if I am mistaken, but wasn’t Miss Ginevra Weasley murdered on the night in question?”
“Yes, she was. By Bellatrix Lestrange; it was after Draco had already resisted the order to carry out a killing curse on her.”
“Could you describe Malfoy’s refusal to murder Miss Weasley?”
“At first he hesitated. He seemed… conflicted. And then he flat out refused.”
“Mr. Potter “ can you confirm that prior to these events you witnessed Mr. Malfoy attempt to use the Cruciatus Curse on Ms. Katie Bell, and on a separate occasion witnessed him successfully use the same curse on Mr. Ronald Weasley?”
“Yes.”
“And in these instances was he following direct orders, or did he act on his own accord?”
“He acted alone.”
There was a murmur among the members of the Wizengamot as though they were deciding if any more questions were necessary. Finally they fell silent and asked him one last question.
“Mr. Potter, due to your personal experience with Mr. Malfoy and Death Eaters, we would like to hear your own opinion on the matter of Mr. Malfoy’s case “ as part of a character testimony.”
For the first time during Harry’s questioning, Draco’s pale eyes met his. It was clear that Malfoy was expecting the retribution for all the years they had been enemies, and as much as Harry might have liked to make him pay, the trepidation of Draco’s face and the justice that coursed through Harry’s own veins pushed him to finish what he promised himself he would do.
“I believe that Draco has made some mistakes. I believe he has committed terrible acts “ but under the misguidance of his father, and under the pressure of what he thinks he is supposed to become. In the end, he made the right decision based on his own moral judgement, and it was a decision that could have possibly cost him his own life, had he remained among the free Death Eaters and been forced to pay for his actions. It was courageous and selfless.”
There was a murmur of surprise from all sides of the room; Draco the most astonished of all. Katie was smiling through tears in her eyes, and Harry felt a sense of relief wash over his body, as though a great physical burden had been lifted from his shoulders.