85

The room was silent for quite some time after that; most hardly daring to believe that Albus Dumbledore, of all people, was effectively throwing his support behind Lucius Malfoy. Indeed, the man he defended looked equally shell-shocked.

"Your comments are duly noted, Professor." The witch looked decidedly unmoved, her quill scratching across parchment. "You may return to your seat." Nodding solemnly, Dumbledore descended the steps and the rest of the room waited to see what would happen next.

"Would Miss Hermione Granger please step forwards?" the eccentric gentleman, with slicked back hair and a monocle, took over from his colleague.

"Oh lord, I knew they'd call me on it." Hermione whispered; wide-eyed and rooted to her seat.

"You'll be fine." Ron reassured her, giving her a gentle nudge to get her to stand up.

"Tell the truth," Kathryn murmured as Hermione walked past, "I don't mind what you say." Hermione gave a nervous smile in response, absentmindedly rearranging her jumper as she walked.

"Again, would you please state your name for the record?"

"Hermione Jean Granger." Her voice was shaky, as it had been before, but Kathryn was sure that would soon pass. After all, she had faced far more daunting things than the Wizengamot.

"Do you solemnly swear that everything you say before this court shall be the truth?"

"I do."

"Excellent, now, to business. Do you have a profession, Miss Granger?"

"Not at the moment." Hermione replied, her voice growing stronger.

"Why?"

"To be honest, I don't really have the time." She confessed, swiping a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"But you have finished school?"

"Yes, but I haven't really had time to think about what I want to do. There were other things that were more important."

"Such as?"

"Surviving." Her reply was deadpan, leaving no one in any doubt that she was serious. Ron couldn't help but smirk; sure that Hermione had been taking note of how Kathryn handled herself before the Wizengamot.

"So what have you been doing since you left Hogwarts at the end of June?"

"I've actually been having a summer," Hermione explained, "and, of course, there's been a lot to deal with since Voldemort fell."

"Do you mean the fallout from Miss Potter's liaison with Mr. Malfoy?"

"Well, yes, I suppose that's been a defining aspect of the summer."

"What have you had to deal with?"

"Mainly media interest, I mean, she's one of my best friends and I've practically lived with her for the past five years." Hermione explained truthfully. "I still live in the same house as her brother and Godfather, so it stands to reason that the media are interested in what I may know. And that doesn't just apply to me; it's the same for anyone who was so closely connected to her."

"I note that you have declined to answer any questions on the subject?"

"Yes, it wouldn't be fair." Such a point was the general consensus of the Order; none of them eager to judge before knowing the whole story.

"Very well. Are there any other ramifications of the discovery that you have had to deal with?"

"I've been supporting her," Hermione looked quite unsure as to the point of his questions, "we all have, that is to say, Harry, Ron, Ginny and I."

"Are you happy to offer her such support?"

"Of course. The last I checked, that was what friends did."

"Even though she has chosen to side with a man who was brought up to despise those of Muggle birth?"

"I don't deny that it was difficult to comprehend," she spoke slowly, considering every word, "she locked herself away for over a week after the Daily Prophet published that photo of them together. I'll admit that I spent most of that week wondering if I would actually want to speak to her when she came out."

"You evidently did."

"Yes, because that was when she told us what had happened, what he had done to her."

"She told you everything?" he raised his eyebrows, apparently seeing a contradiction between what Hermione was saying and what others had said about what Kathryn had divulged prior to the start of the trial.

"No," Hermione clarified, "it was a fairly basic explanation, but it was enough."

"Did she explain anything of her feelings for Mr Malfoy?"

"No, but at that point I think it was best to stick to the simple facts."

"So, after finding them together at Malfoy Manor, when did you next see Miss Potter and Mr. Malfoy together?"

"That would be after the Minister realised that trapping her in the Manor with two Dementors for company was a bad idea." Her tone was dry and uncompromising, making her disapproval plain.

"Was there anything in particular that struck you about their relationship?" he asked inquisitively, regarding Hermione questioningly through his monocle.

"Well, it was apparent that there was more to their relationship than we had originally thought."

"Anything else?"

"He cared." She replied simply, looking directly at Lucius. "Granted, he was very angry, but the only thing on his mind was her. He appeared very happy to be near her and, when Harry and Sirius separated him from her, he was obviously incensed. As for Kathryn, she seemed very," she paused, searching for the word, "content."

"In what sense?"

"With him. She was easier then we had seen her in weeks, far happier too. She actually smiled, and we hadn't seen that for a while" Hermione smiled at the memory. "That was when she explained that not everything had been involuntary, I mean, they made that pretty obvious."

"Did you approve of what you saw?"

"No." Several people gasped, but Kathryn didn't expect any less of someone who was everything that Voldemort and the Death Eaters opposed. "In my mind, he was still a Death Eater and I had not seen sufficient to make any judgement as to a change in his demeanour."

"How did it make you feel to have your best friend living in his house?"

"It hurt, I suppose." She shrugged. "After all she had said about only associating with him because it could prove useful, to find out that she actually wanted to be with him was like, well, I'm not really sure what I could compare it to. Maybe the shock of finding out I was a witch would be the best example." Harry couldn't disagree with her on that one; he had firsthand experience after all. "Some part of me wanted to hate her for lying to us like that, but now I find that I can't."

"Anything else?"

"It was unsettling to see how comfortable she was in such an unfamiliar place, the lion's den if you will. But now that we know how much time she spent there, it easily explains how she could be so undaunted when surrounded by such incomparable luxury." Hermione's explanation was wonderfully articulate. "When we first found out that he was entrusting everything to her, I certainly thought that he was trying to taint her by association. Knowing now the real intent behind it, I cannot fault his reasoning."

"You seem to have undergone quite a remarkable transformation of opinion since June." He commented, regarding her with intense scrutiny. "How can you explain such a change?"

"Well, for a start, my opinion didn't just change overnight. We spent a lot of time arguing between June and now. The last time Harry, Ron and I saw her before this trial started, we argued."

"Why?"

"Over lots of things," Hermione shrugged, reluctant to reveal the true reason, "the house, her relationship, her refusal to tell us anything beyond what she already had. They were the main bones of contention between us."

"But do you now understand each other better?"

"I think we do." Hermione nodded. "I think now that we know what went on, and all of the reasons behind the actions, I can understand why she lied."

"What about what you have seen?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Has anything you have observed between Mr. Malfoy and Miss Potter served to assist this transition of opinion?"

"I've seen the way he looks at her," she replied with a wistful smile, "and after eight years of knowing him, albeit not as closely as I do now, I have never seen him look at anyone in that way."

"Most interesting," his quill scratched rapidly across parchment, "and does this greater knowledge leave you any more at ease with him?"

"Like I said before," her voice was firm and sure, "he has made me feel welcome in his home. He speaks to me with respect, which is a marked change from when I first met him before my second year. Though it may only be a small gesture, I know that a great deal must have changed for him to engage me in polite conversation."

"Bearing that in mind, would you, at this point in time, consider yourself inclined to accept Miss Potter's relationship with Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione was silent for several long moments, her face bearing the same, concentrated expression that they had often seen when she was in the library.

"I think it is too early for me to answer such a question." She replied slowly. "Their relationship has been public knowledge for about two months, and in that time she has had barely two days with him."

"An unavoidable consequence of incarceration." He interjected, earning a scowl from Hermione.

"But my point is that I barely know him! I have spent brief amounts of time in his company, but beyond that all I have to go on is what Kathryn has told us here, and what she tells us in confidence. That is no base on which to form an opinion."

"What about provisionally, because surely you must have gleaned some idea of their relationship form seeing them together?"

"Provisionally?" Hermione paused again to think. "Well, I know I cannot discount his past; but considering what I know at present, I can see no reasonable cause to oppose their relationship." This time, Kathryn could not help but smile. Most seemed shocked that Hermione could even think about supporting her friend's relationship, but Hermione did not seem to care.

"I would have thought that you would be the last person to accept something so controversial?"

"And that is where myself and Voldemort's followers differ; present company excluded," she replied with a confident smile, nodding towards Lucius, "because I understand that tolerance is a far better alternative. And besides, after everything she went through, I think we have little right to judge her based solely upon the man who makes her happy."

"Thank you, Miss Granger." He made a final note. "You may step down." Giving a small sigh of relief, Hermione hurried down to rejoin her friends. As she walked, Kathryn noticed that she flashed Lucius the tiniest of smiles before heading up the steps that led back to her seat.

"With your permission Minister, I should also like to ask some questions of Mr. Ronald Weasley."

"Of course." Fudge motioned for him to proceed. "Mr. Weasley, if you would be so kind as to step forward."

"Oh bugger." Ron went quite pale. "I didn't think they'd want to talk to me! I don't know anything!"

"Relax Ron!" Harry hissed, pushing Ron off his seat to make him stand up. "Just go and answer their questions."

"Ron!" Hermione snapped sternly. "You have fought Death Eaters, helped destroy Voldemort," she listed, "and you survived Umbridge! You can answer a few simple questions!"

"Yeah, alright." Ron acquiesced shakily, making his way towards the podium.

"Your full name, for the record?" the wizard asked as soon as Ron had taken his place.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley." He obliged, flushing slightly as he spoke his middle name. Down the row, Kathryn watched as Fred and George stifled giggles.

"Thank you." He looked down, consulting his notes for a moment. "And am I right to assume that you too have no profession at this time?"

"Yeah, that's right. But like Hermione said, we've been busy."

"Supporting Miss Potter?"

"Yes."

"And are you, like Miss Granger, happy to do this?"

"She deserves our support." Ron replied solemnly, his voice growing stronger.

"Does she really?"

"After everything her and Harry went through, it's the least we can give." His reply was honest, repeating a sentiment felt by many of those who had fought at Hogwarts.

"I do not deny that they deserve support, and of course thanks, but do her dealings with Mr. Malfoy really deserve your backing?" he peered intensely at Ron through his monocle.

"I'm not saying that I can just forget everything she did," Ron explained somewhat hesitantly, "but I don't like to think what could've happened if they hadn't had any relationship at all."

"You mean during the battle at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded fervently, "I mean; my friends would be dead."

"I think that had already been noted." He cut in; obviously thinking that was all Ron had to say.

"But I think that everyone else has forgotten what their lives would be like if things had been different." Ron went on, unperturbed by the wizard's interruption. "Harry and Kathryn would be dead, and you certainly wouldn't be sitting on that bench." The courtroom fell silent as he laid out what, in his eyes, could so easily have been reality. "The Ministry would be run by Voldemort, and he would be doling out his own brand of justice to those who dared oppose him. I know that we lived in fear before, but that would be nothing compared to the terror he would unleash."

"Interesting conclusions, Mr. Weasley."

"You know it's what could have happened," Ron shrugged, "so in the grand scheme of things, I think what she did counts as the lesser evil." Looking over at Hermione, Kathryn could tell that she was immensely proud that Ron had chosen this to be one of his more articulate moments.

"Yes, well, moving on. It has been implied that there existed, or indeed exists, some animosity between Mr. Malfoy and your Father." He quickly changed the subject, as if he knew what Ron had said was true, but he didn't want to acknowledge it.

"It was more than implied," Ron drawled before he could even finish his question, "and you know it. I mean, they had a bloody fistfight in Flourish and Blott's. You don't get any more obvious than that."

"How did that episode make you feel?"

"I was proud," Ron replied with a smirk, "my dad had given Malfoy's dad a black eye." Mrs Weasley frowned in disapproval as her husband smiled at his son's comment.

"Was this animosity repeated between yourself and Draco Malfoy?"

"The first thing he said to me was an insult, so yeah; it wasn't much of a chore to hate him."

"I see. Now, although I think most found it difficult to make any sense of the rumours surrounding the events of your second year at Hogwarts, from what I was able to discern; Mr. Malfoy had some role and that may, or may not, have influenced his departure from the Board of Governors for the following two years." Lucius gave an almost imperceptible roll of his eyes, apparently exasperated that the man was going back so far. "Considering the content of these rumours, would it be foolish to ask if this hatred also transferred to the father?"

"That was a long time ago." Ron sighed, swiping a hand through his messy hair.

"But did it affect your opinion of him?"

"Not really," he shrugged indifferently, "it just confirmed what I already thought."

"What happened to validate your opinion?" though the rest of the room were probably oblivious, Kathryn could tell that Lucius was uncomfortable with the direction of the current question. Harry had told her what had happened in their second year, along with many other things, as part of a general crash course in school affairs before she entered Hogwarts in their fifth year. She knew that any mention of what he had done, despite it being seven years ago, would not reflect well. Although he'd obviously had no idea of the capabilities of the apparently innocuous diary, it was no less proof of his association with Voldemort, and his willingness to sabotage those in his way by any means possible.

"To be honest," Ron ran a hand through his hair again, "I think it's up to Dumbledore to tell you that, not me. It was a private school matter, and it still is." Harry squeezed Ginny's hand with his own; knowing that Ron was remaining so tight-lipped, despite all that he could say, in order to spare her the embarrassment of dredging that particular incident up.

"Very well." He peered down at his notes once more. "So, despite the obvious, longstanding, enmity that has existed between your families, how do you view the current situation?"

"Well, to be honest," Ron fiddled with his sleeve, apparently dreading what he was going to say, "it made me want to be sick, you know, finding them together like that. But, I mean that was when we thought that he'd just, you know, done what we had imagined." In contrast to his previous clarity and confidence, Ron was back to his usual self.

"How do you find yourself inclined now?"

"Different to what I was then, that's for sure."

"Would that be a view similar to that of Miss Granger?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Was there anything specific that helped this change of mind, aside from loyalty to your friend?"

"She was attacked in Diagon alley," Ron replied without hesitation, "a couple of weeks after it had all come out. We warned her not to go out, 'cause obviously we were the only ones who had any idea of what had really happened, but she didn't want to look like she was beaten."

"I believe that incident was well documented in the press."

"Yeah, well I saw what they were doing and it was disgusting." Ron's voice filled with venom. "No matter what she had done, she did not deserve that. It made them no better than the Death Eaters they so despised." Kathryn felt a great rush of affection towards Ron, unaware that he had been so influenced by what had happened that day.

"A very noble sentiment. And has what you have heard changed your opinion of Mr. Malfoy?"

"It's certainly made me see him differently," Ron gave a shallow nod, "and it's definitely been surprising."

"How so?"

"I suppose it's the first time I've seen him as something other than a Death Eater, but I guess that's what happens when you grow up on the other side of the line."

"The other side of the line?"

"Well, our families are both pureblood, but we have lived completely different lives. In his eyes, we were a bunch of blood-traitors and he treated us that way. I never thought he could be kind, or unselfish, because I grew up hearing how my parents talked about him, and seeing how treated my dad. It's hardly surprising that I'd already written them off as a bad job before I even got to Hogwarts." He was surprisingly frank, but his comments rang true.

"Considering that, I do not see how you can be comfortable with one of your best friends being his lover and living in his house? Isn't it too much of an insult?"

"She shares it with us you know," Ron drawled, "it's not like she hides away. We're there more often than not, and it's not like the house has changed her; she doesn't think she's better then anyone else just because she's got all this wealth."

"But there certainly people that she considers herself to be above," he countered sharply, "we have seen evidence in the way she speaks to our Minister. I don't believe that even you could argue against that?"

"If you consider how she has been treated by the Minister," Ron replied patiently, "it's not really surprising, is it?"

"Touché."

"And, to be fair, she's really the wrong person to pick on!" titters of laughter echoed around the room.

"Should he be in Azkaban?" he asked abruptly, silencing the laughter.

"Why waste the space?" Ron shrugged. "I can't really see any point in him being there, except to spite Kathryn." Ron looked like he could continue, but he was interrupted.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, your opinion is noted." He turned to look at Fudge. "I have no further questions." With a relieved smile, Ron stepped down and hurried back to his seat. He had barely sat down before the next member of the Wizengamot spoke.

"Would Sirius Black please step forwards?" the woman with greying brown hair took the next turn. Far quicker than Ron had been, Sirius left his seat and walked towards the head of the room. Kathryn's heart sank, knowing her Godfather's would not have changed since Saturday. She and Lucius shared a grim look before turning their gaze to Sirius. All they could do was hope.