Ghost Rider

Chapter 12...

"Murderer!" people shouted from the stands, the photographers camera's flashed, "Die! Pathetic, Worthless, Scumbag!" they hollered at him and with each word, Hermione watched Draco flinch.

"Silence!" the Chief Warlock's tone was out of annoyance as the gavel hit the hard wooden pane of the stand. Hermione's eyes watched Draco fall into his seat; his stripped prison suit seemed to slid off his frail bones. She couldn't understand what had happened to him, shouldn't have Azkaban taken better care of their prisoners? She forgot for a moment that she wasn't sitting in a Muggle court and knew that they treated their convicted with better manners. Her brown eyes couldn't fall away from the saddened grey that belonged to the man before her... he was so frail.

"Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy Fortune and son of Lucius Malfoy," Percy Weasley stood up from his seat, his pointy blue eyes piercing Draco's soul, "You are brought before the Wizarding Court of Great Britain for being a follower of Tom Riddle and joining his Death Eaters. You are, also accused of the murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Head Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," people shifted uncomfortably and several of them cried out silently at the name of the fallen wizard, "Are these accusations true?"

Draco glanced to his right, his eyes connecting with Hermione's. He sighed and turned away and Hermione could hardly believe what she was seeing, "They are-."

"Wait!" from Hermione's side stood Harry Potter and the reporters pens scribbled and their cameras flashed, "Draco Malfoy is innocent."

"Mr. Potter," Percy Weasley bristled at the interruption.

"No, it's alright, Mr. Weasley," the Chief Warlock answered and nodded for Harry to continue, "Please, stand before the Court, Mr. Potter, and testify that everything you are about to say is the truth and nothing but the truth?"

Without walking around, Harry jumped over the railing of their seats, Hermione and Ron standing up quickly at the sudden choice. She watched her best friend walk confidentially to stand next to Draco, who looked at the Boy Who Lived like he just rose from the dead, "I, Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, stand before the Wizarding Court and everything I say is the truth against Draco Malfoy," he turned to look at Hermione and nodded to her. She understood what he was doing. Harry was saving Draco... For Her.

"Proceed," Percy growled between his teeth and she felt Ron giggle next to her at the irritation flooding his brother's face.

"Draco Malfoy is innocent," he began his speech, "He never wanted the Death Mark, nor to become a Death Eater. He was forced to in order protect his mother. I ask the Wizarding Court," Harry turned to speak directly at them and then turned to the press and other wizarding folk that were present there, "I ask the Wizard World. Would you do anything to save your mother?" Harry's question was met by silence, "I know that if mine was still alive today and was placed in the exact situation that Narcissa Malfoy was in, I would kill everyone in this room just to protect her," a collective gasp admitted from a few people in the courtroom and Hermione had to admit it wasn't the wisest thing to say, but it would help Draco's case. She glanced at him as Harry continued to speak and noticed that he looked so thin and fragile, like he wanted to disappear into himself and forget the world around him. She could not blame him, "That night, the night that Dumbledore died, Draco Malfoy did indeed fix the Vanishing Cabinet and let the Death Eaters into the castle, but Dumbledore knew about it. He knew he was going to die soon anyway, having been poisoned by Tom Riddle's Horrcux. I was there that night as I have said so many times before, but I shall repeat it again," Harry held the Wizarding Courts attention like a moth to a burning light, an ability most had killed for and ended up in Azkaban for, "Draco held Dumbledore at wand point, but he could not bring himself to kill a human being. He was going to drop his wand, but Snape showed up as was planned between him and Dumbledore. Snape knew that if Draco failed, his own life along with the Malfoy's would be extinguished, and he knew that no seventeen year old boy should be forced to kill. So, Snape did the most honorable and courageous thing, he took Draco's task into his own hands and completed it. Snape and Dumbledore paved the road to our victory," at this Muggle saying, many of Wizengamot looked very confused, but Hermione hoped they still understood the point Harry was making.