TᕼE TᖇIᗩᒪ Oᖴ ᑭOTTEᖇ

Chapter 1

Harry Potter sat in his chair, tall and proud despite his somewhat haggard appearance. He desperately needed a shave and a haircut, and he had clearly lost a bit of weight. Still, Harry managed to look both formidable and powerful. His emerald green eyes didn't miss beat, and it was clear he knew everything going on around him. There was no sign of the often Azkaban induced insanity present in other Death Eaters. He wasn't smiling madly or smirking deviously as many had predicted he would be. To most of the people, his face seemed blank, emotionless, but those who had once known him would call it solemn.

A throat was cleared. "Prosecuting attorney will be Penelope Clearwater-Weasley," the Minister's Undersecretary Percy Weasley announced, his voice hinted with pride at his wife prosecuting such an important, high-profile case. "The defendant will be represented by..." Percy's voice dropped, and it was obvious he was shocked. He cleared his throat once more and spoke again. "Daphne Greengrass."

Murmurs broke out throughout the room, declarations of shock and dismay ringing out. Most associated Daphne Greengrass with the harsh prosecution of Death Eaters, and hearing that she would be defending Voldemort's right hand man unnerved many people. No one was more shocked than the Potter family. They had expected Harry to be assigned some newbie public defense lawyer, not have one of the best lawyers of the time volunteer to defend him. The Potter family was somewhat acquainted with Daphne. Lily and James knew the young girl from the Order. She had joined right after leaving school, surprising some Order members who would've pegged her as a future Death Eater's wife. Daphne was mostly quiet during the meetings, only pitching in now and again to criticize Dumbledore's ideas, clothing choices, or clarity of mind, but her legal expertise and connections proved themselves invaluable to their order. She was cold and calculating, a model Slytherin to be sure, but neither James nor Lily had ever doubted this girl's leanings.

Evan and Mark knew even less about Daphne. Evan remembered seeing Daphne's face around Hogwarts and that she had been in his older brother's year, but not much else. He had known her younger sister Astoria during her few years attending Hogwarts. Looking over at his brother, Evan saw that Harry, unlike everyone else in the courtroom, was not surprised. In fact, there was a hint of amusement in his older brother's eyes. The corners of Harry's mouth looked like they wanted to quirk into a smile, but they managed not to.

It was at that moment that Daphne chose to enter the courtroom. With her hair twisted into an elegant yet simple chignon and dressed in an impeccable gray pinstriped skirt and white button down shirt that clung to her every curve, she looked every bit the Ice Princess lawyer she had become. Every set of eyes in the room were set on her, but she was only looking at one person: Harry.

He was the first one to speak. "A little late to the party, Daphne?" His tone was mocking but not malicious. "Get lost?"

Daphne smirked. "Had to go buy some chips," she replied. "And find a couple of witnesses." She studied him carefully, taking every bit of him in and scanning him to memory. It had been too long. "You look like crap," she said more softly. And he did. Harry looked tired and drained, and there were wrinkles and frown lines on his face that did not belong to a person so young. It was clear that the weights and burdens that had been placed on his shoulders were suffocating him. He was no longer the Gryffindor Golden Boy she had made out it broom closets with, whispered sweet nothings to when they were along, fallen in love with, but that was okay. She wasn't the Ice Princess anymore either.

Harry laughed bitterly. "And here I thought the luxury accommodations of Azkaban were doing me so much good."

Daphne stared at Harry, a long intense stare that would've made anyone else uncomfortable. It was a stare that had cracked many an unwilling witness and solved a tough case. He didn't even blink. "Your hands are shaking," she noted causally, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes for those who cared to look. Most didn't, but Harry's family did.

Harry shrugged, looking down at his trembling hands. "It's been about two weeks since I've smoked. It happens." Many of the people watching and on jury blinked in surprise at this comment. What kind of Death Eater smoked Muggle cigarettes? There were magical cigars and such, but none had the strangely addictive quality that their Muggle counterparts did.

"Tell the truth, and I'll get you a pack," Daphne offered.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Bullshit," he replied.

Daphne shrugged. "Believe me or not. It's your addictive and life-destroying habit anyway." It was clear they'd had this argument before.

Harry looked like he was thinking. "You can have the truth and half of my soul if I can have one right now."

Now it was Daphne's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Folding so soon?" she mocked. It seemed like she was enjoying this game.

Harry, suddenly serious, shook his head. "Prisoners sentenced to death get a last meal, right? Well, I want a last smoke before I get my soul sucked out." Nothing was said for a while. There was a tension between the two, a clear battle for dominance brewing. The court watched with bated breath. Harry spoke again. "I'm done playing this game."

Daphne's face was stone, but her voice was gentle. "Then don't. Just tell the truth."

Harry laughed, but it was not a sound Evan had ever associated with his brother. Harry's laugh had been clear and infectious, drawing everyone in. This laugh had the exact opposite effect. It was ruffled, dark, and meant to keep everyone at a distant. "The truth? That's just another game. What you know and what you don't, and what you're allowed to say and reveal and what has to die with you." He paused. "You think these people," he pointed to the jury, "will understand that? I know things that would make heads spin, and I know things that hurt me to know, and I know things that I could never forget. So don't you ask me to tell the truth and not call it a game. It is. It always is."

Harry's words seem to pierce Daphne, but she rebounded quickly. She looked into his eyes, holding his gaze. "Here's a truth for you, Harry. You made me a promise once, a promise you swore you'd sooner die than break. Do you remember?"

For a moment, Evan thought that his brother didn't look so formidable, only tired and vulnerable. "Yes," Harry answered, his eyes not breaking away.

"Then tell the truth," she pleaded strongly. "Ignore them," she said when she saw him looking over at the jury. "Tell the truth like you were just telling it to me, okay?"

Harry sighed. "Okay," he agreed.

Daphne smiled, not a smirk or a mysterious half-smile, but a true smile. She turned to Director Bones, who was presiding over the trial. "You may begin, Director. My meeting with my client is over."

Director Bones could only nod in shock and call order. This was going to be a long day...

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