Vendetta

Chapter 15: Draco's Trial, Day 2

Technically the best the so-called defence team could bring to bear was certain past doings of Lucius and company for the Ministry, claiming that no one who did so much philanthropic work for them could possibly have raised a son who was a serial rapist. A weak defence at best, but considering all the evidence Harry and company had against them, it was all they had ... and it could only get worse.

Even their best defence, after having to take Veritaserum, would seem like it was helping the prosecution, but not even Lucius's best lawyers could find a way around it without casting suspicion on themselves. Even then, they had no idea that Harry intended to challenge Lucius to take some himself when he decided to act as a character witness in his son's behalf and not even his purported reputation for philanthropy would be able to get him out of having to take it.

All the same, everyone who was there the first day was there on the second, although the witnesses who had testified previously were now sitting in the observers' section along with Harry and the Weasley family. Once again Draco was sitting in the criminals' chair, chained securely, and the Veritaserum was brought to him. He stiffened and his fists clenched, but he took it.

"Now, young Mr. Malfoy, if you would kindly give us your account of what happened on June 18, 1997," the head of the Wizengamot stated.

Harry and company couldn't help exchanging grins. With Veritaserum, Draco would be obliged to tell the truth and end up incriminating himself in the bargain. Harry didn't see any way in the world that he could possibly weasel out of this--and frankly, after what he had subjected those girls to, especially Ginny, he deserved whatever he got and then some.

It was really too bad that Harry hadn't thought to hire a gorgeous streetwalker to go to the Malfoy home and ambush Draco in his bedroom, ravishing him as he had those girls ... and then turn around and claim that he had assaulted her. It would be priceless! Unfortunately that would likely have made him look just as bad as Draco, even as pleasant a scenario as that was, so Harry had to put that out of his mind. The real-life scenario was going to be priceless enough, because Harry knew that he literally had Draco and company dead to rights.

"Well ... I had done some research on the family of Harry Potter," he said, knowing that every word he said brought him closer to a life stint in Azkaban, but the Veritaserum controlled him and he could not do otherwise.

"For what purpose?" came the next question.

"I ... wanted to see how they felt about him. If they ... disliked him as I do, I intended to see if they would be willing to work with me against him."

"Did you succeed?"

"I ... found one member of his family, his cousin Dudley Dursley."

"Did he agree to help you?"

"He did. All the same, he ... didn't strike me as very intelligent. Otherwise, he would have seen through me. He wasn't even able to tell that I was a wizard, which seemed ... strange, because of the fact he is related to Harry."

This went over big with those in the observers' box; Harry's grin got even wider. When even Draco could see how stupid Dudley was, yet recruited him anyway, that didn't give his side much hope for either freedom or leniency from the Wizengamot.

"What did you decide to do?"

"We ... decided to go after Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend. I told Dudley about her and promised him he could have her if he would help me."

"Why did he agree to help you?"

"He ... dislikes Harry as much as I do. Besides, he had been ... unable to get a girl up to this point."

"Did neither of you consider what might happen if Harry discovered what you were doing?"

"I ... figured I could handle him," Draco returned. "Besides, I made sure that he and his friends would be busy elsewhere, so they could not interfere until it was too late."

"How did you manage to abduct her?"

"I Apparated with Dudley to the Hogwarts grounds, waited for Ginny to show up, then rendered her unconscious with a nonverbal spell, conjured up some ropes to tie her up with and took her to my family home."

This was the point that Lucius got a look of pure horror on his face. "Stop this! Stop this travesty immediately! Can't you see how difficult this is is for him?"

It was also the point at which that Harry was unable to remain silent any longer at this insufferable hypocrisy. He jumped to his feet and called out, "Difficult for him? What the bloody hell do you think I've been through because of it? What Ginny and her family has been through? Because of your money, you've always been able to escape punishment. Well, this time no amount of money or influence-peddling is going to get Draco off!

"Neither of you know the meaning of suffering, and as far as I'm concerned, deserve every bit of hardship coming to you! In fact, I wouldn't put it past you to have been responsible for framing Sirius Black and making him spend twelve years in prison for crimes he never committed! Neither would it surprise me if you and your Death Eater cronies killed those people! Draco is at least getting a trial, which is more than I can say for my godfather! And if you think it's difficult seeing Draco made to tell the truth about his crimes, I'd like to openly challenge you to take Veritaserum and tell us about a few of yours, particularly the ones you committed as a Death Eater!"

Hermione and Ron both pulled hard on Harry's sleeves in an attempt to make him sit down, but Harry didn't seem to feel it. "Harry, stop it! Stop it right now! This isn't going to help!" Hermione hissed softly.

It was Ginny who finally made him stop. "Please, luv, this isn't going to help us. Sit down now!" Harry did, albeit reluctantly, but was still angry, still wanting to shout accusations, but content to sit silently now that he had been able to say what he wanted to say. Now all that was necessary was wait to see the repercussions of his statements, particularly his challenge that Lucius take Veritaserum and be made to tell the truth about his own crimes, much less those of his son.

But Lucius had been waiting for just such a moment to lash out and did so. "Silence, you smart-mouthed, half-blood brat! I should have known you were behind this! You have no right to even still be alive! Your blood-traitor father and filthy Muggle mother deserved everything they got, just as your blood-traitor godfather did! And if you say one more word against us with those unworthy lips, I swear in Merlin's name that I'll kill you!"

This time it was the lawyer trying to calm Lucius down, but he would not be calmed. Not until the head of the Wizengamot put his wand to his throat and shouted out, "Order! Order in the court now!" did things quiet down. Only then did he turn to the observers' box and quietly but sternly admonish Harry. "Young Mr. Potter, kindly remain silent during these proceedings, or else I will be forced to have you removed."

Fortunately Harry wasn't the only one lectured. "And Mr. Malfoy, you will kindly control your temper, or else I will have you removed as well and allow your son to face his trial alone. I allowed your presence because it is a parent's right to stand with their child in a situation like this, but no amount of money gives you the right to abuse or threaten another person in a court of law, particularly not one with a legitimate grievance against a member of your family. Draco, you may continue."

Lucius gave the head of the Wizengamot a killing glance but did not argue, remaining quiet but silently seething the whole time Draco was giving testimony.

"I ... then took her and Dudley to my personal wing at my home and ..." Draco could no longer continue.

"Is something wrong?"

"I ... cannot continue, sir," came the soft reply. "Not unless my father is allowed to remain. He will ... remain silent if I ask him to." Draco gave his father the first pleading look Harry had ever seen from him, and Lucius visibly, albeit reluctantly, pulled himself together.

That prompted Draco to continue his first-hand account. "I ... used her first, then allowed Dudley to do so. It was during the latter situation that Harry showed up, bent on revenge. I had been unaware that we had been observed abducting her, but surmised it was the only way Harry could have learned what had happened."

"Can you really blame him for wanting revenge after what you and his ... cousin, I believe ... did?"

"No ... I cannot blame him," Draco was forced to admit. "Shortly afterward, his friends Ron, Ginny's brother, and Hermione Granger showed up and demanded that I ... return Ginny to them immediately."

"And did you?"

"I did, sir ... after making sure that Dudley had finished. Then after they left, I took him back home."

"Is that all that happened?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a silence, not to mention tension, so thick after that it could almost literally be cut; finally the head of the Wizengamot said softly and with great regret, "After that confession, young Mr. Malfoy, I have little choice but to ... assume your guilt in this matter and sentence you to life in Azkaban for not only the kidnap and rape of Miss Ginevra Weasley, but the assaults of all the other young women in question. Have you anything further to say?"

"No, sir."

"Then I officially declare this trial ended. You will be returned to the holding cell until we can contact Azkaban and obtain official transportation for you. Take him away." The older wizard gestured to two older official-looking men and they released Draco from the chained chair, only to take him back to the holding cell to await transport to Azkaban, which would likely be his home for the rest of his natural life.

Lucius followed him out silently, and that was the last the others in the observers' box ever saw of them. "Well, you did it, Harry," Ron observed. "Draco's had it. Now if you can just do the same with Dudley ..."

"Oh, I will," Harry returned softly but ominously. "I assure you, I will. No one hurts people I love and gets away with it. Voldemort didn't, Bellatrix didn't, Draco didn't ... and Dudley won't, either." Ginny stepped up to Harry and he opened his arms; she stepped into them and they lovingly enfolded her. "One down, one to go, luv. Best of all, I got some revenge for Sirius as well as you in the process, even if I wasn't able to see Lucius forced to take Veritaserum. It was worth missing that just to see Draco taken away."

Fred and George clapped Harry on the back, congratulating him, even wanting to hoist him onto their shoulders again, but he vetoed that until they got back to the Burrow ... then they could do whatever they wanted in the privacy of home. The Wizengamot officially adjourned the trial and everyone departed, the large group once again Apparating out and back to the Burrow for a private celebration. It wouldn't be completely over until Harry saw Dudley led away to his own imprisonment, but for the moment, it was enough to know that Draco would receive his just punishment--and that his, Harry's, own efforts had brought it about.

* * * * *

One may be assured that plenty of publicity was generated by the news of Draco Malfoy's rape conviction, and not all of it positive, although Harry was definitely encouraged by the amount it did engender. Just the same, he knew that Lucius had to be plotting revenge against him and vowed to be prepared for it. Just one article, in fact, engendered considerable comment on both sides of the fence, as it were ... one which came out roughly a week after the trial ended, entitled "Lucius Malfoy Vows Revenge for Son's Rape Conviction."

But it seemed that Kingsley Shacklebolt, the one who wrote the article, seemed slanted in favour of Harry and company, because he included copies of the DNA reports obtained from the Wizengamot, showing that Harry alone could not possibly have been responsible for Ginny's rape, but rather, that the results showed there had been a double attack. Certainly it showed similarities between Draco's, Harry's and Dudley's DNA, but also considerable differences, which Kingsley explained was mainly due to the genetic differences between their parents, despite the fact of the latter two's having been fairly closely related. (For the first two, there were also spots in their DNA reportedly unique to those born of wizarding families or who had at least one pureblood wizarding parent, which both Harry and Draco did.)

There was even a side article featuring the news that Harry and Ginny were now officially engaged to be married and how happy they reportedly were in spite of all the publicity surrounding the trial. They even mentioned the fact that Harry planned to push rape charges against his cousin; however, it would take time to get that started, so they had to be patient. If it took fourteen months to get Draco on the stand, it would take at least half that long, if not as long, to get Dudley on the stand, particularly if Vernon and Petunia ran true to form and did everything they could to try to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into Harry's efforts to obtain justice. But he had gotten this far, so Harry wasn't about to stop now.

Just the same, while waiting to hear regarding Dudley, Harry took steps to protect himself and the Weasley family from anything Lucius might try to do to harm them, up to and including placing various protective spells and charms on the Burrow, not to mention bodyguards consisting of various members of the Order of the Phoenix uniquely qualified to protect their charges, which included the noted ex-Auror "Mad-Eye" Moody (the real one this time, of course), whenever anyone needed to go somewhere and wanted to make sure they would both go to their destination and return home safely.

Harry was also pleased that Ginny ended up not having to testify at Draco's trial after all, even though she had assured him that she was prepared to do so if necessary. Just the same, it wouldn't surprise him if she was called upon to testify at Dudley's trial in order to ensure his conviction. Moody, in fact, had been the one to accompany Harry once it came time for him to take the necessary tests so he could officially work as an Auror.

He and Ginny were also working diligently to become Animagi (specifically, able to turn into hawks so they could live as mates in the wild if called upon to do so). He kept McGonagall updated on their progress, asking advice every so often, particularly on how they could develop unique markings which could identify them even in animal form. He had even learned that the corrective properties of his glasses could be incorporated into his animal form and there would be gold rings around his eyes when in hawk form to designate same.

He was also pleased to learn ways that he could choose the plumage and eye colouring he wanted as a hawk, as could Ginny, and both of them practiced those spells diligently over the ensuing weeks between the end of Draco's trial and the beginning of Dudley's. McGonagall also assured him that they would definitely be able to communicate mentally with one another while in animal form.

And it definitely didn't do any good for Harry's male ego to know that Transfiguration was coming far easier to Ginny than it was to him, even though they were practicing together at every opportunity. She had even been able to turn completely into a hawk at one point, even managing to fly and land on Harry's shoulder, communicating mentally with him while perched there, careful not to dig her hawk's talons into his unpadded shoulder.

Just the same, Harry had to admit that she made a truly beautiful female hawk with her red-gold plumage and deep brown eyes. All the same, she could only hold the shape for roughly ten minutes. It was necessary to be able to hold a given animal shape for at least fifteen minutes at a time in order to officially become an Animagus.

Don't worry, luv, you'll make it eventually, she assured him.

But I've been practicing just as much as you, yet you picked it up more quickly, he returned petulantly. The best I've been able to do is sprout wings and feathers!

That happens sometimes. Some people pick things up more quickly than others. Nothing against you. Remember, I wasn't able to hold the shape as long as necessary, so I still need to work on that.

Of course, since it ended up taking six months for Dudley's trial to be arranged, Harry finally did manage to do the same thing Ginny did, turning into the black hawk with green eyes that he wanted, including the gold spectacles-like rings, even doing the same thing that Ginny had done, landing on her shoulder and communicating mentally with her while in bird form even while making sure that his hawk's talons didn't dig into her unprotected shoulder.

By this time, Ginny had been able to perfect her shape-holding abilities, so she was now officially a registered Animagus. It would take another month or so before Harry was able to do the same, but what mattered was that they did both make it and could now change whenever they wished to do so. Even at that, McGonagall warned that they had to periodically turn into hawks and live as such for progressively longer periods of time, starting with one day and gradually working up in order to be sure of their ability to eventually live long-term in the wild.

* * * * *

It wasn't long after this that Harry got an official-looking envelope from the Little Whinging constabulary telling him that the trial of one Dudley Philip Dursley on charges of both the rape of one Ginevra Molly Weasley as well as various other unnamed victims of sexual assault would be taking place within a week, which would make the date February 23, 1999 ... a total of twenty months since Ginny's attack.

Harry also had a good laugh at the hypocritically hurt letter which had been enclosed from his relatives.

" ... I know we've had our differences, Harry, but surely you can find it in your heart to put such petty mistakes behind you and forgive us. What did we ever do to you that you would subject us--subject Dudley--to such cruel and unusual punishment, such public ridicule and embarrassment? After all, we're family!"

He read it out loud, laughing once again. "Can you believe their bloody audacity? All they've put me through, and then they expect me to forget all that and overlook what that scumball has done to the girl I love! What did they do? Try this ... locking me in a broom closet for eleven years. Physically and emotionally abusing me at every opportunity, not to mention allowing Dudley to terrorize me at every turn. Denying me food and material things. Come to think of it, I wouldn't want anything from them anyway! If Mum and Dad could know what they've done, they'd likely join me in hexing them into the middle of the next century, if not suing them for felony child abuse!

"It's not my fault my parents died so young and I had to be left with them. What's worse, they took their hatred of them out on me. Frankly if I'd had a choice, I think I would have preferred an orphanage. And one thing's for sure ... after this, if anyone asks, I'll tell them I have no family. At least none by blood that gives a damn about me. In fact the happiest day of my life was when I left that house of Hell for good! If I never see them again after the trial, it'll be too bloody soon!

"How Mum could possibly have turned out as well as she did in such a family, I'll never know. I also find it virtually impossible to believe that she could have been any relation whatsoever to them. Unfortunately Sirius's family was no better. Just the same, if Dudley had only seen fit to leave Ginny alone, I would have left them alone, would have had little reason to do what I'm doing ... but Merlin forbid he ever do the decent thing!"

Harry's companions didn't blame him one bit for his anger, hurt and bitterness, knowing that the Dursleys deserved everything Harry intended to throw at them and then some. Even his worst wouldn't be nearly enough to compensate Harry for all he had endured at their hands. Just the same, what mattered was that Dudley would finally be punished as he deserved.

Harry would see to it ... and if Vernon and Petunia even attempted to stand in his way, he would go after them as well and enjoy every moment of it. In fact, by the time he got through with them, they wouldn't know what hit them, so if they knew what was good for them, they would simply sit back and let their spoiled rotten hoodlum brat take his medicine for once. It just went to show that it didn't pay to get on a wizard's bad side!

If they even said a word to him, he intended to say, "Be thankful I'm only here to see Dudley punished, though after what you've done to me, I'm very tempted to go after you as well and do everything I can to prove that you knew about everything he's done, accosting those girls, yet covering it up. If you don't back off, one word from me and you'll be lucky not to be run out of town on a rail, if not literally tarred and feathered! So I suggest that you not give me any more reason to prosecute you than I already have."

Harry sighed and rested the hand that held the letter on one leg. "Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't let it bother me any more. The important thing is that I'm finally away from them forever ... and as long as my dear cousin is finally punished as he deserves, I'll be content. Which reminds me--did you all want to be there at that trial, too? I think I can arrange it."

Naturally everyone readily agreed, Fred and George even offering to hex any one of Harry's erstwhile relatives whenever he said the word. Harry laughed again, his heart warmed by their obvious affection for him. "Thanks, mates, but that won't be necessary. It'll be enough for me if you're all there to sit with me."

Why couldn't he have had a foster family like the Weasleys to grow up with, someone like Molly for a foster mother? Would that have been so much to ask? Why did Dumbledore think it so bloody important that he be with blood kin, especially if said kin turned out to be so abusive, both emotionally and physically? What advantage could there possibly be to that? Guards could have been put on virtually any wizarding home to protect him and his foster family from Voldemort, so his life could have been so much different. It was even said that adversity made one stronger; well, then he ought to be the strongest person in the world!

Harry could also imagine what his relatives would say when he said that he was actually engaged to be married. "How could you possibly have a fiancée?"

"Well, I do," he intended to throw back. "And I'm happy to say that even though Dudley did everything he could to destroy it, he failed ... so I intend to enjoy every moment of my marriage to the girl I love while he sits rotting in jail for the rest of his life--which is nothing more than he deserves!"

Just as he would throw back if they said, "How do you know so bloody much?"

"I keep my eyes and ears open--not to mention my mind ... which unfortunately, is more than I can say for either of you. Incidentally, I no more care for anyone to know I'm related to you any more than you care for anyone to know that you're related to me--so we're even. And after this, how is it going to look to your highbrow friends for you to have a son who's a convicted rapist?"

Even at that, they probably wouldn't give up. "You still could have paid people to plant evidence, pay so-called witnesses to say what you wanted them to say against Dudley."

"I could have, yes," he would admit. "But I didn't. There was no need to. The evidence was already there. It was just a matter of finding it--not to mention a matter of opening one's eyes and admitting the truth to oneself, something you two are sorely lacking the ability to do, especially where your son is concerned. I've already beaten one of 'my own kind,' as you put it, so what makes you think I won't do the same to you ... and then some?"

In fact, as soon as he had become old enough to know and understand what was going on, the absurdity and unfairness of his situation, Harry had built up a wall to take refuge behind--a wall behind which he would be at least relatively safe from the majority of verbal and physical abuse heaped on him from the Dursleys almost from day one. Only a relative handful of people had ever breached that wall since he had left that house of Hell, most of them in the Weasley family.

First Ron, Molly, and Arthur, then Fred and George ... and finally, just recently, Ginny. The only one who wasn't (at least technically and only for the moment) in the family who had managed to reach him emotionally had been Hermione. That is, the only one in his age group. Other than them, only Dumbledore and Sirius had managed to win his affection; all in all, the only ones who had ever been anywhere near worthy of it. (There were others he liked, of course, but Harry was only referring to those he actually loved.)

Harry had never imagined he would ever see the day he would actually be able to take steps to ensure that Dudley would actually be punished for what he had done to Ginny, nor that it was now only a matter of days until the trial which would seal his fate for the rest of his natural life. Neither had he ever imagined that he would ever be looking forward to seeing the Dursleys, but the best part of the whole thing was that once the trial was over, he would never have to lay eyes upon them again--or even think about them again if he didn't want to. And frankly, considering what he had endured at their hands, why would he want to? He would have far better, happier things to think about ... such as Ginny, their upcoming marriage and all the joys which that entailed, both physical and emotional.