Twist of Fate

Chapter 19

Hours later, they were in Kingsley's office, having made a quick stop at Grimmauld Place for showers and change of clothes. Harry had already told Hermione and Ron about the decision he had made while sitting on the bluff and now he laid it out for Kingsley. The minister protested but Harry had pushed until reluctantly he had agreed. Ron and Hermione were silent, neither of them were convinced it was the best course of action but Harry wasn't interested in being talked out of it.

As they waited for the lawyers to be summoned Kingsley opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to Harry, Harry's name was written across the front of it in very familiar handwriting, "What's this?"

"Aberforth left that for you yesterday. It seems he was supposed to have given it to you before you saw the memories," Kingsley grimaced. "It slipped his mind in the rush to get here."

Harry looked at Albus Dumbledore's handwriting and the Hogwarts seal on the envelope, he held it out to Kingsley, "I don't want it."

"Harry, it probably will help explain..." Hermione protested.

"Helps explain why the Headmaster of Hogwarts decided to not only condone the assault of a student by another student but went on to cover it up using spells, potions and charms? I'm not interested."

"Harry, you should read it. It may not justify it but..."

Harry handed the letter to Hermione. "Here, you take it. I'm making you official keeper of all mystery letters that people give me. Read them. Destroy them. I don't care. But if I take it, I'll burn it." Hermione reluctantly slipped the letter into her robe pocket and was going to say more but was interrupted by the arrival of the two lawyers.

"Come in, counselors. I want to update you on the status of the Malfoy case." Kingsley sat at his desk and waited for everyone to be seated. "I am declaring a mistrial. It has become clear that there is much to this case that we do not know. From the discussion between Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape that we heard during the Pensieve memories it supports Malfoy's claim that he was assisting the Order, or at least assisting Dumbledore and Snape in their work.

Smith, opened his mouth to protest but Kingsley cut him off.

"As of now Draco Malfoy is no longer a defendant. Charges will need to be re-filed, if and only if, it is deemed after proper review of the existing and forthcoming evidence. What we need to do is assess whether the help that he provided outweigh the crimes we believe he committed. We have Malfoy's own testimony under Veritaserum that indicates that he not only saved Harry Potter's life in Malfoy Manor by not identifying him but also by making escape possible for six people by dropping the wards.

"But he tried to kill Dumbledore three times, seriously injuring two students in the process!" Smith protested.

"Yes, and we have his testimony, again under Veritaserum, that that was because as a sixteen year old boy he had been forced to take these actions under extreme duress and the threat of killing his mother." Goldstein said soberly, "A difficult dilemma for a man let alone a teenager."

"What about what he did to Potter!" Smith turned and faced Harry, "Surely, you can't want him to get away with what he did to you!"

"Do not presume that you know what I want," Harry shook his head at him, "I want answers from Malfoy. Why did he not tell anyone that he was working against Voldemort? What else did he do to help us from the other side? I made a mistake in judging Snape because of what I thought I knew about him. I don't plan on making that mistake again."

"He OBLIVIATED you. What else-"

"Smith, I have already told Harry that he can have his questions answered. Truly, Smith, if Harry Potter is willing to listen to what Malfoy has to say, shouldn't a Ministry lawyer be willing to do the same?"