The Dark Side (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 30: The Ministry of Magic

          I was blinded by the flashing white lights everywhere. I was holding Draco's hand, trying to ignore everyone. We were awaiting our trial and I couldn't stop my hands from trembling. If that wasn't bad enough, Rita Skeeter was interviewing us after, and naturally, I dreaded the idea. A bodyguard was pushing us towards a door, which I gladly entered. The room seemed dark compared to the other that was lit by the flashing of cameras and filled with questioning voices. As my eyes adjusted, I could see two chairs in the centre of the room, surrounded by a circle of raised seats. The raised seats were full of people with blue and red robes on. Most people looked at us with obvious pity on their faces, others just disliked them. Draco's parents had already been sentenced to Azkaban, but our matter was a little more difficult. As I looked closer, I could see chains on the chairs in the centre room. That's where we would sit. A tall man with an impatient face sat at a podium, placed right above our prison-seats.
          "Bring them in," he was Kingsley Shaklebolt, the new Minister of Magic. We were pushed forward and sat down in the seats. Mine was well worn, and I thought about how many of my father's followers had sat in the same one. Shacklebolt flicked his wand, and the chains wrapped tightly around my arms and legs.
          "Mr. Shacklebolt, I don't believe those are necessary. After all, they are just children," spoke a woman who reminded me of a younger Professor McGonagall. He flicked his wand again, and the chains were removed.
           "Very well. Now we start. Alexandria Rosie Riddle, and Draco Lucius Malfoy. You are both accused of following the Dark Lord and committing crimes that have broken multiple laws. Do you object?" we shook our heads. "We're you under the Imperious Curse at any time?" We shook our heads again. "Mister Malfoy," his gaze fell on Draco. "You are accused of killing a Muggle as well as poisoning Ronald Bilius Weasley, cursing Katie Bell, performing the Imperius Curse on Patricia Rosmerta, and attempting to murder Albus Dumbledore. Do you object?" the room fell silent at hearing his name.
          "No."
          "Were you under the Imperius Curse at any time to carry out these deeds?"
          "No. It was only his words," Shaklebolt nodded.
          "Miss Riddle," he inclined his head to me, his face grave. "You are accused of murdering a Muggle, Corban Yaxley, and Remus Lupin. Do you object?"
          "No," my voice was small, and the room filled with whispers.
         "Were you forced by the Imperious Curse to kill these individuals"
         "Not by the Imperius Curse," my voice cracked as I held back tears. All I could see were my victim's faces in my mind.
           "And what do you mean by that?"
           "I was always at his mercy, sir. Both of us were."
           "He threatened to kill you if you didn't heed his commands?"
           "Not directly, but... yes."
           "We will take this into account. Were you aware of the consequences when performing these actions?" I shook my head.
           "His consequences, nothing more."
           "Meaning?" anger flooded me suddenly.
           "Meaning, I wasn't often thinking about the Wizarding Law while my life was in his hands every single day," Shaklebolt looked at me curiously.
          "Hmm. Roll up your left sleeve please, Miss Riddle," I did as he asked, and on my wrist was the pale scar where the Dark Mark had been. Many gasped. "You are marked as one of his followers. Did you request to become a Death Eater?" I stifled a laugh.
          "No, I did not. I received it when I was fifteen. I had no choice," the room filled with whispers again.
          "'No choice'?" Shaklebolt asked and I hastily adjusted my left sleeve.
          "Of course I didn't! I was Voldemort's daughter, I couldn't run," many flinched at hearing his name. "You all know what happens to those that flee."
          "We are well aware of his methods, Miss Riddle," his tone was final. He turned to Draco, who had been silent. "Please roll up your left sleeve, Mister Malfoy," he did so, a similar scar on his forearm. "When did you receive the Dark Mark?"
          "When I was sixteen," he rolled down his sleeve, not wanting to look at it any longer.
          "If I'm not mistaken, that was the year you attempted on many accounts to kill Albus Dumbledore?" Draco nodded.
          "I replaced my father when he was sentenced to Azkaban," murmurs filled the room. "The Dark Lord named me 'The Chosen One'," he spoke robotically.
          "I'm sure these children don't wish to relive their treacherous past. I believe this is enough information to continue the trial, don't you, Kingsley?" the same woman spoke. Shacklebolt readjusted himself in his seat and cleared his throat.
          "Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?" the wizengamot made their decision slowly, whispering amongst themselves, retracting and raising hands. Finally, the indecision subsided, and Shaklebolt surveyed the results. "Very well. Alexandra Rosie Marlie and Draco Lucius Riddle, you are cleared of all charges," I realized I had been holding my breath, and let it out in a sigh of relief. I reached for Draco's hand and squeezed it. The wizengamot spoke, glancing at us occasionally. Finally, someone spoke, their voice ringing throughout the room.
          "You are dismissed," Draco and I stood, following the two wizards who had led us to the trial. As soon as the doors opened we were blinded by flashes of light again. We passed a sullen wizard going towards the courtroom in chains, seeming indifferent towards the cameras and questions. We followed the two wizards through another door, which seemed out of place in the sombre hall. A quill had been enchanted to write 'Rita Skeeter' above the knocker, which was almost too ornate. The two wizards stood silently on either side of the door, and apprehensively I held my hand to knock. Before my knuckle hit the door, it was torn open by a woman in a blinding-pink dress.
           "Hello Alex, Draco!" she spoke perkily and offered us a chair as she closed the door. She toddled back to her desk, crossing her leg over the other. "Oh! There's so much to talk about, where shall we begin?" she batted her overly-large eyelashes at us, removing a quill and a notepad from her repulsive crocodile-skin bag.
          The interview seemed to go on forever. She continued to snake the same three questions about our trial, my father, and my mother every few sentences. It was a relief when one of the wizards accompanying us came in and told her time was up. We walked out of the room and met the guards again. They led us outside where Narcissa was waiting. Draco wasn't seventeen for another month, so she wasn't sentenced to Azkaban for another month. Naturally, they had put restrictions on her travelling, and she was constantly being monitored, but today she was allowed to use the Floo Network to get us back home. Upon seeing us, she gave us each a hug full of tears, her eyes red and puffy.
          "I didn't expect to see you here so soon!" she exclaimed, wiping her face with a handkerchief.
          "I didn't expect to be here at all," she ushered us towards the electric green fire. I grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and stepped into the flames. "Malfoy Manor!" I threw the powder at my feet and was engulfed in green flames. I stepped into a dark room, rubbing residual ash from my face. As my eyes adjusted I could see a long table running the length of the room. My heart stopped. I was standing right where I killed that Muggle two years ago. I stumbled out of the room, overcome with a crippling cold. I tore the door open and slammed it behind me, breathing heavily.
          "Alex?" Narcissa called my name somewhere in the house. I couldn't move. I heard footsteps come down the stairs, but I was still frozen in place. Her eyes went wide when she saw me. "Are you alright? You're so pale," she put an arm around me, but it felt like she was far away. "What happened, Alex?" then she realized where we were. "Oh, I'm so sorry dear, I thought I turned that fireplace off," I was slowly coming back to reality. "Come on upstairs, I've got lunch ready," she guided me up the stairs and into the dining room. I sat down beside Draco, who looked at me with worry, holding my pale hand. "She ended up downstairs," she explained, and he suddenly understood. Narcissa put a tray of food on the table, but none of us ate. I nervously took a sip of water, trying to stop my hands from trembling.
          "So what did they say?"
          "We're cleared of all charges," Draco spoke. She clutched her chest.
          "Oh, I'm so glad. It would have killed me to see you there so young!" Draco squirmed beside me. He was having trouble coping with the fact his mother was being sent to Azkaban. I'm not sure if the brief time he had left with her was good or bad. I could see her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "I'm so happy for you two, you can move on now, have a normal life,"
          "Narcissa?" I found my voice.
          "Yes?"
          "What happened to Hogwarts?"
          "I don't know, dear. I'll be curious to see if it reopens next year."
          "I think... I think I want to go back."