"Bloody hell, Harry," Ron gasped, and Hermione glared at him.
                              
"Ron!" she hissed, but her voice softened. "It's okay. You can keep going, Harry."
                              
He cracked a weak smile, but then grimaced. "I'll spare you the details, but I was there for almost three days, strapped to the bed while he did... everything. He used Imperio... and Crucio. He... wanted to break me and he did. I stopped fighting. He didn't need the Imperius, by the end. He told me what he did to the muggles, too, but he wanted me to remember him and what he did."
                              
His hand was starting to hurt, but it felt good. Hermione whispered, "You're doing great, Harry." She knew that this was the hard part. The part that was eating at him.
                              
"He... threatened to leave me staked out in Knockturn Alley... so everyone would know who conquered the Savior. I... just... snapped. Just like those mind healers at St. Mungo's, he crashed into the wall and was knocked out. The ropes disappeared, and I healed myself... just like I do, now. But I didn't know what to do. I froze. I didn't want anyone to know what he did, what I did. I knew he'd drag it all out at the trial... there'd be a media frenzy....
                              
"I did what he did... I Obliviated him. I covered it up. I cleaned the place and decided to dump him at the muggle jail. He was a predator, a serial... r-rapist, a fucking sadist, and I couldn't let anyone else get hurt like that. I just d-didn't want anyone to know!" he said, looking to Hermione, the moral compass of the group.
                              
She straightened up and rubbed his hand supportively. "It's okay... you didn't let anyone else get hurt. He's in Azkaban. It's understandable why you reacted that way," she reassured him.
                              
"Yeah... but I was an Auror. I'm supposed to respect the law, not break it. I Obliviated him against his will, tempered with evidence, didn't report a crime...."
                              
Hermione interrupted him. "Harry, that was an extreme situation...."
                              
"I would have fucking killed him!" Ron spat, and Harry winced. "Oh, sorry, mate. I'm so sorry."
                              
"It's okay. I t-thought about that, too. But I c-couldn't do it."
                              
Hermione placed her other hand on his. "Of course, you couldn't. We know you, Harry. You're the kindest, most forgiving person I know. You couldn't do that. That... soulless bastard couldn't destroy you completely."
                              
Harry nodded. "Draco said something like that, too."
                              
"Draco?" Ron repeated, again. Unable to get over it.
                              
"You told... Draco?" Hermione said, grimacing at the word.
                              
"Yeah... he... saw how I acted... he knew. He asked me what happened. Draco understood," Harry whispered, looking down.
                              
"Really? The ferret did?" Ron said, and Harry frowned. "What? He's not here to be offended."
                              
"Ron!"
                              
Harry gave him a look and dropped his head. He didn't want to tell them everything about Draco. That was private.
                              
"Sorry, it's Draco Malfoy we're talking about here. Why would he understand...."
                              
"Ron!" Hermione growled, and Ron fell silent as Harry gave him a meaningful look.
                              
Ron looked between them and dropped his head. "Bloody hell... him, too?"
                              
Harry nodded. "I can feel his injuries. I don't know how he's still... here."
                              
"Harry... we'll get them for him. I promise," Hermione said, and he didn't doubt her words.
                              
"Thank you. He doesn't want to talk about it... or testify."
                              
"Okay. We'll try to keep him out of it," she said.