Anything Is

Harry was beginning to think that this courtroom was his least favorite room in the whole of the wizarding world. He had seen horrible things done in this room, and almost had horrible things done to him at the beginning of his fifth year. Ministry of Magic, level 10. He hated this round, stone room.

Harry looked down at his visitor's badge, which said, "Harry Potter, Criminal Trial" and sighed. After Voldemort's downfall, and the ensuing partying at Hogwarts (which went on for about a week) everyone began to realize they'd have to actually put the wizarding world back together again. The sheer volume of people that had been killed by Voldemort, both citizens and government employees made this a daunting task, to say the least.

And the endless, endless trials and funerals and memorials. Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Lupin, Ted Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Snape, Crabbe, and on, and on marched the burials. And the trials of the former Death Eaters, and the people who weren't Death Eaters but worked for them, and the guesswork of who was under the Imperius Curse and who was just evil to start with.

Harry couldn't wait for the next school year to start. Sirius' old house was still (miraculously) in one piece, even though the Ministry had obviously been through it with a fine-toothed comb, so he, Andromeda Tonks, and little Teddy Lupin had all moved in. It was going to be a challenge making it livable, plus dealing with such a tiny baby, but it was good work to be rebuilding life, instead of just fighting for it. Everyone who'd been in school last year would be allowed to take the year over, with McGonagall as Headmistress. Harry was really looking forward to it, but first he had to get through today.

Today, there were two chairs with chains in the center of the courtroom. Behind the huge wall, what remained of the Wizengamot peered down at the figures chained to their chairs. Kingsley Shacklebolt sat in the center looking down, and the room was filled to capacity with witches and wizards of all descriptions. Harry was sitting with Andromeda Tonks (they having left Teddy in the care of Bill and Fleur for a few hours), Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

At the center of everyone's attention, in those two chairs covered in chains were Lucius and Draco Malfoy, looking unhappily at the Wizengamot.

"Having heard the evidence against you, this council agrees that your crimes have been many, Mister Malfoy, and the combined sentences for all you have done would be sufficient to place you in Azkaban for the rest of your life," Kingsley finally said. "Draco Malfoy, your crimes are fewer in number, although the council agrees that is likely because you have had fewer opportunities and less time to accumulate them than your father has. Nevertheless, your combined sentence would come to nearly twenty years."

Narcissa Malfoy, against whom there had been very little evidence, went even more thoroughly pale than usual.

But Kingsley wasn't done yet. "However, we have also come to agree that you have suffered for them a great deal within the past year. And that some of the worst of your offenses were committed under duress. Therefore, if someone here will speak for you, we will consider commuting your sentences, somewhat."

If someone here will speak for you, Harry thought. How ironic that this family who had prided itself on social standing must now rely on what people genuinely felt about them to survive at all. He noticed that no one was standing.

Kingsley was opening his mouth when Harry bolted to his feet. "I will speak for them."

Heads all over the room were turning towards him in shock. Malfoy's pale, ferret face was somewhere between fury and astonishment, and the look on his father's face was about the same. Narcissa looked cautiously hopeful. Even Kingsley seemed a bit shocked, but Harry didn't care because he heard Ginny's quiet "Thank you" beside him, and if anyone had cause to hate Lucius Malfoy, it was her.

"Mister Potter?" Kingsley asked.

Great. Now I've got to talk to everyone, Harry frowned.

"It's just...Voldemort was always destroying families with what he did. My family, the Lupins, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms...we all lost people," Harry explained. He could see a lot of people looking down now. "And here they are, all three Malfoys, all together, despite all his best efforts and everything they suffered and Mister Malfoy in Azkaban and Draco Malfoy nearly dying and everything. I'm not denying they've done a lot of awful things--and I would know because they did some of it to me--or that they really did go along with Voldemort, at least for a while. But here, at least, there's a family he didn't manage to destroy. I dunno...it feels like we'd be adding more victims to his list. I realize they're not going to get out of prison for good. I'm not asking for it. Just...please don't send them there forever."

Kingsley smiled a little at this. Narcissa Malfoy was crying, but Draco Malfoy was looking at Harry with a speculative gaze.

The Wizengamot held a brief conversation of hurried whispers and finally Kingsley said, "Since you have been vouched for by Harry Potter, it is the decision of this council to sentence you, Lucius Malfoy to a term in Azkaban no less than five years and no greater than ten, which you will begin serving immediately following this trial. You, Draco Malfoy, we sentence to a term in Azkaban no less than six months and no greater than two years, however, you will be permitted to attend Hogwarts in order to finish out your schooling."

And just like that, the trial was over. Everyone got up and began moving toward the exit but the scrum at the door meant that Harry and Ginny, the last on their row, ended up caught next to the aisle in their attempt to leave. They stood watching as Narcissa Malfoy hugged her husband tightly, crying. Even so, all three of the Malfoys looked somewhat less haggard.

Draco Malfoy approached them, flanked by two members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ginny took Harry's hand and he had a feeling she was preparing her infamous Bat-Bogey Hex.

"So, I suppose I'm meant to owe you my life now or something," he sneered.

"I don't want it," Harry answered. "I've already saved it twice anyway."

Malfoy scowled. "I would have let you burn."

"I know," Harry answered.

"So did you make all that up, or did you really mean it?" Malfoy asked.

Harry looked at him, debating whether or not to tell him what he really wanted to know. Finally, he realized that Malfoy knowing the truth was not nearly so bad as being almost-killed by Voldemort.

"I've always envied you, you know?" Harry said. "A little. Not the face or the money or the clothes or anything."

Malfoy scowled.

"Definitely not that thing with fake Moody," Harry pressed, with a small smile. Ginny giggled.

"Can we skip the part where you gloat over my life's worst moments, Potter?"

Harry grinned, but said, "You have a family. You grew up knowing your parents. Knowing they cared about you and were proud of you and wanted you to excel. You've always had that. I spent the first eleven years of my life living in a cupboard under some stairs." Ginny's hand squeezed his and he smiled at her.

Malfoy blinked in surprise.

"My aunt's family. They hated me because I'm a wizard. Anyway, the point is, your parents love you and I envy that. And--you'll say it's the Gryffindor in me--I'm just so tired of seeing people grieving. Sometimes I think it will never stop."

"It is the bloody Gryffindor in you," Malfoy said, "but thanks, anyway." He offered his hand. "You realize we are never going to be friends?"

Harry grinned, remembering the time on the train. But this time, Malfoy wasn't offering to teach him which people to hate. This time he was offering a cease-fire. "Not in a million years," Harry agreed. He shook Malfoy's hand.

Lucius had caught the moment. "What's going on, Potter?" he asked suspiciously

"Potter and I have reached an understanding," Draco informed his father.

Lucius Malfoy frowned, but didn't say anything else. Narcissa gave him a measuring look, but also remained silent. Harry and Ginny rejoined their friends outside the courtroom.

"What did Malfoy want?" Ron asked.

"A truce," Harry replied.

"Finally," Hermione sighed. "I'm so excited about school."

"You're always excited about school," Ron laughed.

"Maybe we'll get to study Blibbering Humdingers in Care Of Magical Creatures!" Luna suggested.

"Luna!" everyone said, before they all started laughing.

Neville shrugged. "Voldemort's dead, though. Harry spoke up for the Malfoys. I think, now, that anything is possible, Blibbering Humdingers or no."

Harry grinned. "You know...anything is."