Work Text:
July 1998
Things around him were changing too fast.
Overnight the war had changed absolutely everything. He woke up one day to break into Gingotts and didn’t go to bed until after killing Voldemort over 24 hours later.
Within that 24 hours his whole world had turned upside down.
He lost so much, so many people, his home, they way he thought about life and death. And now he was just expected to continue on? Act as thought everything is okay, as if he hadn’t spent the better part of 9 months on the run, destroying a man’s literal soul.
Harry wasn’t sure how he was supped to keep on. And for a long time he didn’t. He just spent his days in his bed in his shared bedroom with Ron up in the attic. He would stay there for days at a time, only getting up to use the loo and even then he held out as long as he could. He wasn’t eating, he wasn’t drinking, and he sure as hell wasn’t socializing with anyone.
Ginny had come in a few times to talk to him, but like the good boyfriend- exboyfrind?- he is he pretended to be asleep. The only other people to come in were Ron and Hermione. They would check on him, leave water on the nightstand, try and convince him to eat something that they had brought up, and some times if he hadn’t gotten up once in the last day and they were overly concerned, they would sit in the room talking with one another but making it known that Harry was of course welcome to join their conversations. Not that he ever did.
In fact, Harry stayed in his blankets of sadness until July 1998. The war had happened over two months ago, and now it was time for the cleanup, for the rebuilding -metaphorically and physically. But there was also the trials.
The ministry -apparently, not that Harry was reading anything or being directly told any of this information from his cocoon- had spent weeks weeding out the bad eggs, and then put on the trials of the Death Eaters.
Harry had been asked multiple times to come and talk on behalf of the light against this person or another, but Harry didn’t accept, they didn’t need him, they just wanted him as the symbol that he was.
However, on a rare morning when he did get up to shower he could hear speaking from the kitchen. It was still early in the morning, had it not been summer the sun wouldn’t have been up yet. “Today is the Malfoy’s trial’s.” He heard Arthur speak, probably to Molly.
“That poor boy. I know he was awful to the kids, but it’s just how he was raised, had he been brought up in our home I would bet every galleon we have that he would be a much kinder child.” Molly replied.
Harry kept down the stairs, being careful to avoid the squeaky ones so he could hear more.
“You’re right, but at this point what’s done is done and it’s up to the ministry on what to do with the boy and his mother. There’s no was Lucius is going to be given anything less than life in Azkaban however.”
Malfoy could go to Azkaban.
He couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Both him and Mrs. Malfoy didn’t really deserver it. Harry was there the night that Dumbledore was killed, he had the memories from Snape. He knew that not only was Malfoy not going to kill him but that it was scripted from he beginning.
Both Malfoy and his mum had saved his life. Hell, Mrs. Malfoy openly lied to Voldemort about him being dead and risked her life for her son. Her son- who also lied saying he didn’t recognize him in Malfoy Manor even though there was no way that Malfoy hadn’t.
Wether he liked it or not, he owed it to the two of them to speak up on their behalf.
He took in a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Readying himself before he stepped down the last few steps into the kitchen to greet Molly and Arthur for the first time in weeks. He knew they had been worried, and that by taking this -literal- step into the kitchen he couldn’t go back to how he was, sleeping all day, avoiding going into public, being able to skip most meals. No. Stepping into this kitchen meant he had to actually get his shite together and although it was a terrifying prospect, the idea of starting his own healing after all that had occurred, it was also slightly exhilarating. Who knew the next time he would feel this way if he didn’t start now.
He took the step. His foot caused the floorboards to squeak and Molly and Arthur to look over to the stairs confused before Molly’s eyes started to fill with tears and she rushed over to crush him in a hug.
It was barely a second before Harry felt Arthur join in on the hug.
“Oh Harry, I’ve been so worried about you, but Ron just said you’d come down in your own time. How are you? Are you hungry? Here sit I’ll make your favourite.” The two adults pulled away, and Harry couldn’t help feel guilty for worrying Molly -and Arthur he knew although the man hadn’t said it specifically.
She dragged Harry to the table and sat him on the bench in his usual spot before she waved her wand and some eggs started cracking themselves into the pan as she tuned her back to start preparing raspberry jam on toast.
“Molly-“ He took a breath before correcting himself. “Mum. I’m sorry for worrying you.”He wondered what his mum would think about Molly, but he knew he didn’t have to question it. This woman helped to raise him and he just knew that his parents would be okay that he considered the Weasleys his parents.
At hearing Harry call her mum Molly ran back over to him and hugged him again, he hand’ noticed that tears were falling down his face until she wiped them away.
“Oh Harry dear.” Was all she could muster before more tears started flowing.
It took another five minutes before Harry spoke up again. “I heard you guys talking about Malfoy, and I want to help him.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” Arthur asked him, and Harry felt a wave of gratitude crash through him that Arthur wasn’t against the idea. He didn’t think he would be, but at the same time the Weasley’s and the Malfoy’s have a long history.
“I think I want to talk at his and Mr.s Malfoy’s trials.” Harry said, and although his voice sounded sure, the idea of going out in public- to the ministry- scared the magic out of him.
“If that’s what you want to do dear.” Molly said to him as she placed his eggs -over easy- and toast in front of him. “But if you’re going to do it you’re going to need your energy so eat up okay love?”
Harry nodded and took a bite. It was delicious as anything Molly made, even if he was just eating toast and eggs. The key ingredient was that it was made with love. He finished it all and even had seconds.
An hour later Harry was showered and dressed and standing alongside Arthur ready to floo to the ministry.
Since the war, Arthur had been promoted to Kingsleys assistant and thus had his own floo connection- meaning that Harry didn’t need to worry about being swarmed the second he entered the ministry.
This time when Harry floo’ed thankfully he ended up in the right place, which Arthur made sure to make a joke about.
They had been in the office for all of 15 seconds before there was a knock and the door swung open, “Arthur, you’re here early. I was wondering If I could get your help on-“ Kingsley cut himself off when he noticed that Arthur wasn’t alone. “Merlin Harry, I didn’t know you were coming today? How are you? Why are you here.”
Although it had only been a few months since Harry had last seen the now Minister, the months had clearly been kind on him. He seemed as though he had become younger, the stresses of the war clearly worse than being in charge of the entirety of Wizarding Britain.
“I’m good thanks.” Harry muttered.
“We’re here for the Malfoy trial.” Arthur added, taking Kingsley’s gaze off of him and back onto Arthur. The man put his hand on Harry’s shoulder in a comforting gesture that filled Harry. This is what it’s like having parents.
“Why Harry why didn’t you let me know? I’ve owled you a bunch asking if you wanted to speak in peoples trials but you never responded.”
“Yeah,” Harry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “I’m here to defend the Malfoy’s, not go against them.” His words hung in the air as Kingsley took them in. He didn’t seem to understand Harry but he nodded and accepted them.
“Okay, well Narcissa Malfoy’s trial is first in about twenty minutes, and then Draco Malfoy’s will be after lunch if things go as planned. If you wish to follow me I can take you both through the back route- I imagine you don’t want much trouble which is why you came in with Arthur.” Harry nodded and the two followed Kingsley as he lead them out of the room into a hallway that he wouldn’t have noticed if they hadn’t gone down it.
Harry tried to memorize the path they took but after the third middle fork he couldn’t be bothered to remember anymore.
By the time they stepped into the gallery Harry had heard the mutters of the Wizengamot, their surprise that he was there. He knew it was only going to get worse when the Malfoy lawyer announced him as a defendant.
Everyone stood as Kingsley entered the room from the opposite door and announced this trial to be in session. He hit his wand off of the end of his desk and told the Malfoy lawyer to start. He spoke about how Mrs. Malfoy didn’t have a choice but to give her house up to Death Eaters, that she didn’t even bare the mark, and that she didn’t deserve life in Azkaban for merely trying to protect her son.
As expected the Wizengamot were shocked to hear that Harry was defending, so much so that Kingsley had to call order multiple times before finally casting a silencing charm around the room.
“Now, I call up Mr. Harry Potter. Mr. Potter if you will.” The lawyer -Harry never got his name- gestured for him to come up and stand in the front of the room, only a few meters away from Mrs. Malfoy, who’s eyes were wide. “If you could start with the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, how did Mrs. Malfoy save your life as you have claimed?”
“Yes of course, you see sir-“
Harry went into explanation of all that happened, how she lied to Voldemort, how she asked about Malfoy, how she went to the final battle- not to fight but to make sure her son was alright. That when Harry jumped up from Hagrid’s arms he outed Mrs. Malfoy as a liar to Voldemort, that she did all this in spite of not having her wand because her son had it. By the end the room was heavy, he could feel the weight of the eyes on him. He was just thankful that the papers weren’t allowed into the room and would only be told what happened after the fact.
In the end Mrs. Malfoy was let off with only a year house arrest, because she did after all allow Voldemort into her house, and followed her husbands footsteps- mark or not.
Then it was Malfoy’s turn. Harry was nervous to see the other man but he wasn’t sure as to why. When Malfoy walked out of the door and into the room Harry wasn’t able to look away. He looked rough, dark rings around his eyes, his usually pointy face sharper than a table corner, and he some how was paler than ever before, almost translucent.
Malfoy locked eyes with Harry and neither man looked away until Harry was again called up to testify.
He did the same as he had for Mrs. Malfoy, he told the truth. But this time he started in sixth year, he admitted to having followed Malfoy -Draco he called him out loud but it felt foreign on his tongue- for the year, how he was just below the floor of the astronomy tower when Malfoy came in, how he lowered his wand and hesitated, opening his mouth to accept Dumbledore’s protection before the door open and Bellatrix came in.
He explained that Snape in the end gave him his memories and that Dumbledore was dying, that he had to be killed that night, that Snape had taken the unbreakable vow. There was murmuring in the jury at that but Kingsley didn’t stop them, as he too was entranced in what Harry as telling them. He spoke about Malfoy Manor, how Malfoy recognized him but refused to identify him, risking his own life had his family found out he just lied for Harry. He even mentioned how in the final battle Harry tried to stop Crabbe and Zabini from killing him in the Room of Requirement, stating it was because they had to leave him for Voldemort, but Harry knew that it was a lie, that he knew that Malfoy wanted his side to win. He also shared that Malfoy was underage when he got the mark, that if he hadn’t his mother would be killed. When asked how he knew this for fact Harry took a deep breath before announcing for the first time that he shared his mind with Voldemort, that he could catch glimpses of what was going on in the others world. That he had seen Draco frightened while people were killed in front of him in his dinning room, how he screamed out while his mother was tortured for something Lucius had done- Lucius of course was in Azkaban as the time so Voldemort took it out on her.
When Harry went back to sitting beside Arthur, the man wrapped an arm around him and have his arm a squeeze before letting go. Harry almost didn’t notice though as he was distracted once again by Malfoy. His grey eyes going silver, almost as though he had hope in him, hope that everything would be alright. He was sure some of this was new information for Malfoy, there was no way that Malfoy knew that Harry was there in the astronomy tower, that Harry could see him through his connection with Voldemort.
Luna also came to testify on his behalf, sharing that although she was in their dungeon Malfoy always snuck down food, cast healing and nurishing charms on them. Making sure that they were okay.
In the end Malfoy was let off with a warning and a magical restriction against using dark magic for the next three years. It was a better outcome than he could’ve hoped for.
Once the trial was over and Harry was about to follow Kingsley and Arthur back through the secret pathway he asked for a moment to talk with Malfoy.
The blond was looking at him already when Harry turned and walked over to him. The room was almost empty, the Wizengamot leaving quickly to try and get the most out of their lunch break before the next trial begun- Harry wasn’t sure who it was for.
“Potter.” He sounded nervous, as though Harry was going to attack him after just saving his arse- again.
“Malfoy. I just want to say thank you.” He stuck his hand out, Malfoy just stared at it for a while.
“Shut up Potter, I should be thanking you. And kissing your arse probably.” Malfoy joked, try gin to ease the tension as he reached out and shook Harry’s hand.
“How about tomorrow?” Harry asked.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, we can get tea and you can kiss my arse all you want.” Harry gave him a smirk and Malfoy scuffed.
“You wish Potter, but I’ll take you up on that tea. You’ll owl?”
Harry nodded before releasing the other’s hand. He looked past Malfoy’s shoulder and saw Mrs. Malfoy coming over, “I’ll leave you two to it.” Before walking away over to Arthur. He followed him out of the room and through the hallway to go back home.
Home.
Where he knew that Ron and Hermione were going to be waiting for him, that they were going to be both thrilled that he finally got out of bed and horrified of the idea of him defending Malfoy. Which was exactly what happened when he stepped back through the floo and was immediately tackled by Hermione. Arthur went off to give the three some privacy and let Molly know what happened.
Ron joined in on their hug and they all stood like that for too long. Finally pulling apart Harry told them what happened, how both Malfoy and his mum had been given almost no punishment, and how it felt good to help them. That he was ready to start moving on. ‘Oh Harry’ Hermione had said.
After dinner Harry managed to sneak off and write Malfoy an owl asking him to meet up tomorrow in muggle London -he added the information and designated apparition spot number- at 3pm.
By the time Harry ended up back in bed he couldn’t help but feel excited for tomorrow. He knew that things were changing and it was driving him crazy just how fast the night was changing, but for once he wasn’t so terrified about it.
FIN