Life Debt

"Order! Order! The trial of Draco Lucius Malfoy will now commence!" Chief Warlock Thatchus Reacher called out. "Bring forth the prisoner!"

Draco was shaking badly, Silenced, but thankfully clothed as the Aurors smashed him through the doors of Courtroom 10. The seats were full of angry Wizengamot members looking down at him disdainfully. He heard whispers of how they felt about him. Yaxley's trial had already been held, and Draco spent the previous night alone. Yaxley was Kissed, and Draco had little hope that they wouldn't do the same to him. The Aurors shoved him into the defendant's chair, and the restraints latched onto him

"Madam Arbitor... please read the charges!"

"This Court accuses the defendant of knowingly and willingly committing open treason and rebellion against the Ministry by voluntarily accepting the Dark Mark of He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named! That the defendant knowingly and willingly used the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses on another witch or wizard! That the defendant knowingly and willingly participated in the heinous murder of Albus Dumbledore! That the defendant knowingly and willingly fought against Harry Potter in the Battle of Hogwarts where 55 magical persons died defending our way of life! That the defendant knowingly and willingly fled with the fugitive dark lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named and granted him shelter to evade capture! That the defendant knowingly and willingly tortured, abused, and raped our Savior, Harry Potter!"

The Courtroom exploded in anger, and some pulled out their wands. Draco shook as he wondered if he'd get out of there alive.

The arbitor let the noise die down before plowing through more and more crimes. It took nearly ten minutes to read them all. Most were trumped-up charges. Some weren't wrong... but Draco had little choice in the matter. They even tacked on what he did to Greyback and Yaxley. They laid the deaths of Dumbledore and the Fallen at his feet, and even brought up massacres that the Death Eaters did that he was no part of. The mass of wizards and witches were effectively stirred into a lynch mob. Draco wondered if they'd even let him speak.

"Order! The charges are read! Members of the Court... there have been many Death Eaters that have appeared before us! I think that this case is the most egregious! Don't mistake his age! He brought about the death of one of my predecessors, the illustrious Albus Dumbledore! We have heard the testimony from the other collaborators of Malfoy Manor! Draco Malfoy was assigned to personal torture and sexually abuse our Savior by He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named! I don't think we need to deliberate at all, do you?"

Shouts of agreement went through the Courtroom, and Draco was reassigned to his fate.

"Silence! That is not going to happen!" Professor McGonagall yelled out, her voice magnified. "We will have the rule of law in this Court! Now, sit down and do this right! There will be no summary judgments here!"

The rest of the Wizengamot muttered angrily but took their seats. The Chief Warlock banged the gavel and grunted, "Oh, very well!"

"I see no reason why we should continue this!" Minister of Magic Robards growled. "This Death Eater is a war criminal and doesn't deserve...."

Draco's former Transfiguration Professor stared daggers at the man. "The last time the Ministry swept trials under the rug was the first war, and the Ministry sent an innocent man to prison for almost his whole life!"

"There's no way that this... person... is innocent! He doesn't deserve any rights after what he did!"

"Minister Robards... you have no idea what he could say. This Court deserves to hear the truth!" she shouted back.

"The truth? From a loyalist? From a Death Eater till the end?"

The Headmistress stood up. "You know as well as I that Draco Malfoy fought with Harry Potter at the end, and they took out Voldemort!"

Gasps erupted and the Court looked shocked and confused.

"Order! That is not admissible!" the Chief Warlock shouted.

"I'll give you what is inadmissible!" McGonagall shouted back. "The testimony from those other Death Eaters! The Veritaserum that was used so freely without a warrant during his interrogation! What was the evidence that this young man alone brought about, all that the arbitor claimed? No! I demand this Court follow procedure and justice to prevail!"

"Don't we have better things to do? I call for a conviction now!" the Minister shouted.

"That's illegal!" Headmistress McGonagall shot back.

"I am the Minister of Magic! I can do whatever I want to stop killers and torturers like him go free!"

The Wizengamot grumbled at his words, but McGonagall looked to the Chief Warlock. "Your honor! I hold you to your oath of office. Do right by the law and follow proper procedure. This young man deserves to have his say in what happened, if not for our own knowledge!"

The Minister glared at the Chief Warlock, but Thatchus Reacher sighed, "I must, in good conscience, let the case go on properly."

Draco let a breath of relief go out, though he still didn't have a chance in hell of surviving the day.

The Minister growled, "Fine! We don't need to convict him on everything. One is enough for a Kiss. We have heard testimony from Draco Malfoy's fellow Death Eaters of his heinous crimes against our Savior! I call for a guilty verdict!"

"I object! Draco Malfoy hasn't been able to contest their statements, nor did any of those witnesses see direct evidence of abuse."

"I'll remind you that Death Eater Yaxley testified that Draco Malfoy ordered Harry Potter to orally please Yaxley in front of the Dark Lord! He also stated that Malfoy let Greyback rape Harry Potter in front of the whole assembly of Death Eaters. Does Draco Malfoy deny this?"

Draco had no way to answer. He remained in his chair.

"Enough! It wasn't testified in this case, so it is not admissible!"

"But I have the Auror who interrogated Malfoy, and Malfoy said it did happen!"

McGonagall didn't have an answer for that. "Do this the proper way. Witnesses... evidence... procedure... or I'll spend the rest of my life petitioning for your removal."

The Minister went red. "You dare to threaten me!"

"It is a promise! I will not abide by a corrupt and power-hungry dictator."

"I am not...."

"Enough!" Thatchus Reacher roared. "We will carry on with proper Court procedure. Draco Malfoy... how do you plead to the charges that were read?"

Draco couldn't breathe... he also couldn't talk. He shook his head.

"You don't want to plead? You want to get this over with quickly, too, huh?" Minister Robards growled.

Tears welled in his eyes and he looked at Professor McGonagall, who understood. "He is Silenced."

She undid the spell and he rasped out, "Not guilty."

The Minister looked angry, but the Court proceeding went on. McGonagall acted as his barrister and got several charges dropped without him saying anything.

"And for the conspiracy to commit murder? What evidence do you have?"

"We know that he let the Death Eaters in!"

"How? You have to prove it! Same with the charges of Imperius and Cruciatus! There's no one left to testify!" she growled.

"We have his admission."

"And how was it achieved? I'm sure we can test if Draco Malfoy has traces of Veritaserum in his system. Were you granted permission by the Wizengamot to administer it during an interrogation?"

"I don't have to...."

"Yes, you do!" McGonagall said, and then she declared, "Furthermore, by express law, any evidence you gathered with it, is not to be used in this Courtroom!"

"This is war!"

"No, it isn't! The Battle ended nine months ago. The last of Death Eaters are gone."

Nine months... Harry was tortured for nine months. He phased out most of what they were saying and tried to process that time.

"Fine! All in favor?"

He blinked as most of the Court raised their hands. All in favor of what? What had he missed? Were they convicting him? He tried to remember what was said, but he wasn't paying attention.

"All opposed?"

Only a handful voted against it... him.

"They yays have it. Baliff! Administer the potion."

Potion? Draco's eyes widened as someone approached him holding a clear vial. Veritaserum. He was going to tell all, or at least, what Harry hadn't denied him to. He was shaking when the Aurors grabbed him and pulled his head back roughly. They put more than the required three drops into his mouth and made him swallow. It'd affect him for hours.

"Madam Arbitor... proceed with the voir dire," Chief Warlock Reacher ordered.

"We'll ask the preliminary questions first. What is your name?"

"Lord Draco Lucius Malfoy."

Murmurs broke out and the arbitor was surprised.

"Lord? Is your father dead?"

"No. He surrendered his rights, title and properties to me."

"Wh-"

"This isn't relevant," McGonagall declared.

"You are just a member of the Wizengamot, not the prisoner's barrister," the Minister growled.

"So are you. Are you going to allow this veritable child to have a barrister?"

There was no answer.

"Well, to answer your question, all crimes are relevant. If Draco manipulated his father into...."

"You cannot look for more charges with Veritaserum, only truth from what he is accused of. I will Silence Mr. Malfoy if you go off topic again."

The arbitor rounded on him. "Mr. Malfoy, did you administer the Imperius Charm on Madam Rosmerta before the war?"

"Yes, I...."

"Did you make it possible for Death Eaters, including Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix Lestrange, to enter Hogwarts, in order to kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes... but...."

"Did you fight at the Battle of Hogwarts against Harry Potter?"

"No."

"Pardon me?" she said, her line of questions interrupted.

"He said no! Move on."

"But...."

"Next question!" Professor McGonagall said. Both the arbitor and the Minister were angry that she was interfering.

She then asked about his Mark. "Did you swear allegiance to You-Know -Who?"

"Yes, I ha-"

"Did you accept the Dark Mark?"

"Yes... but I...."

"Quiet! We don't want to hear excuses. "Did you flee the scene the Battle after the Death Eaters were defeated?"

"No."

"What?"

"I was dragged home by my father when the battle was lost."

"You didn't go willingly?"

"No."

"I found that hard to believe."

"Madam Arbitor, he's under Ministry-grade Veritaserum."

"Fine. And you avoided prosecution with He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named since the Battle?"

"No. I couldn't le-"

But the arbitor Silenced him. "No extra information."

"Madam Arbitor!" Professor McGonagall said and released the charm. "You have to allow him to speak!"

"I couldn't leave because my father's wards were locked and Voldemort ordered us to stay there!" he said quickly.

A few people scoffed, including the arbitor. Some still flinched at the name. She then asked if he used the Cruciatus and other pain spells on Greyback and Yaxley, which he admitted he had. She also got him to admit that he let werewolves and his parents escape. Then she struck the crux of everything.

"You are accused of daily beating, torturing, and rape of the Chosen One... what did you do to Harry Potter!"

The ramble grew louder. "Give him the Kiss!" someone yelled.

Draco couldn't say a word. He looked helplessly at McGonagall who was curious herself, expecting him to confess all manner of dark deeds, but he stayed quiet. Unable to breathe a word of what happened in the basement to anyone but Harry.

"Awwah ha! Proof of his heinous deeds. Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot... there are ways to not answer questions under Veritaserum... but you cannot lie! See how no lies will come forth!" the aribitor argued.

"See here!"

"Enough you old crone!" Minister Robards growled.

"Well, I never!" McGonagall said, red in the face.

"Silence! Order! Madam Arbitor is correct on how the truth potion works..." the Chief Warlock declared.

"Do we want to cast a vote now?" someone asked.

Draco was shaking and met McGonagall's eyes, pleading. "This defendant hasn't had a chance to state his case," she said, defeated already.

"Your client doesn't deny that he tortured and raped Harry Potter! He admitted to using the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses! He admitted to conspiracy to commit murder! He admitted that he took the Dark Mark and swore allegiance to the Dark Lord! He will face judgment, now!" spat the Minister for Magic.

The yelling grew louder and some were chanting, "Vote now! Vote now!"

"Order! Order!" cried the Chief Warlock. "I will ca-"

Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by a high-pitched screech that made the whole room wince and try to cover their ears.

Crack.

Draco, dazed from the sound, opened his eyes to see Harry Potter in the center of the Courtroom, flanked by Granger and Weasley. Harry... he had broke through the Ministry's tight Anti-Apparation wards to face the ire of the Ministry and Wizengamot. His wand, their wand, the Hawthorn one, was in his hand and he looked pissed.