New Beginnings

Part 2

As Draco lay asleep one summer night, the visions he encountered seemed all too real. Every witch and wizard experienced them occasionally. They'd steal a glimpse into alternate worlds that showed what could've been versus real life. But this... this immediately felt like a nightmare.  

He was being led into the courtroom at the Ministry of Magic. 

Kingsley Shacklebolt announced, "Draco Lucius Malfoy, you stand accused of several charges: First, that in June of Nineteen Ninety-Seven, you did, knowingly, allow your fellow Death Eaters into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry through a pair of Vanishing Cabinets. Do you deny this charge?"

"No," Draco's alternate-self replied. 

"Second, that you did, knowingly, purchase and deliver to Hogwarts a necklace filled with dark magic, as well as a bottle of poisoned wine. Do you deny this charge?"   

"No."

"Third, you are charged with the attempted murders of Miss Katie Bell and Mister Ronald Weasley. Do you deny this charge?"

"No, but... I wasn't trying to kill them," Draco confessed. "The necklace and the poison... were intended for Professor Dumbledore."  Saying it aloud only intensified his shame.

"I assume there are people who can verify this statement?"

"Yes. Ask my father or mother-or my..." He was about to say, my aunt, until he remembered the painful truth: Bellatrix Lestrange was dead.

"Only a handful of Death Eaters knew, but they're all gone now except for my parents." 

"I see.  We've already questioned Mister Borgin of Borgin and Burkes, who confessed that he sold these items to you. That, alongside your confession, gives us cause to move forward, to the most serious charge. We shall now bring Miss Katie Bell to the stand." 

"Where did you come upon the necklace?" Shacklebolt asked her.

"My friend Leann told me I shouldn't touch it, but I didn't listen. It looked so... so pretty." Katie blushed in shame.

They called Ron Weasley next, and his questioning began with, "Please tell us about the day you were poisoned."

"It was me seventeenth birthday," Ron answered. "You know Harry Potter, my best mate? Well, he was given some chocolates infused with love potion. I ate them without knowing, and sort of got all lovesick.  So Harry took me to Slughorn's office for an antidote."

"Horace Slughorn?" the minister clarified.

"That's right. He thought a bit of wine might help, but it was the poisoned wine. I would've died if Harry didn't stuff a bezoar down my throat."

"How did it wind up in Slughorn's hands?"

"Dumbledore gave it to him."

Slughorn himself confirmed this later on in Draco's trial. And the ultimate verdict didn't come as a surprise.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban. "

The next morning, Draco ate breakfast at a snail's pace. To think... He'd bragged about the mission so often, and yet when all was said and done, he felt lousy. Maybe he didn't like Ron Weasley (or any Weasley, for that matter), but if the poison had killed Ron... he wouldn't have been worthy of forgiveness.  Draco considered the alternative, too; Slughorn could've drunk the wine alone, with nobody to save him. Attempting to murder Dumbledore had been difficult enough. 

"Draco, you are no assassin," the old man told him once. 

I guess he was right, Draco thought. That didn't excuse his actions. He'd used two out of three Unforgivable Curses, many times, at the Dark Lord's request! Why had Draco avoided the fate in his dreams? Was Kingsley Shacklebolt really so kind, to pardon everything he'd done? Where could he go to redeem himself?

Where it started, of course.  Draco made up his mind there and then. Next month, he would leave on the Hogwarts Express for one final year.