||Now It's Just Us||

Chapter 47

"Miss Granger?" 

Hermione swallowed and stopped jerking her knee up and down, "Yes?"

"You can come in now," Mister Diggle said, politely bowing and beckoning her into the courtroom. Hermione nodded and stood.

"Good luck," Mister Diggle said in a stage whisper as she walked past him. She smiled tensely at him. 

The benches were all full. The intimidating, magenta robes members of the Wizengamot peered down at her from their high perches. Kingsley looked on with concern etched on his face. The middle rows were where Harry, Ron, Ginny, Narcissa, Lucius and Draco were seated. She took a second to lock eyes with Draco, who gazed firmly back, silently wishing her luck. Hermione walked to the chair in the centre of the room.

"Hermione Jean Granger," Kingsley began, with an air of someone who didn't want to be in the current position at all, "you have been charged with open attack on a fellow citizen, assault on Ministry Officers, false impersonation and for posing as a muggle. Do you deny any of the charges?"

Hermione broke out in a cold sweat. It sounded horribly horrible when put that way, "No, I don't."

"Did you assist Draco Lucius Malfoy in getting away from Ministry Officials at the time he was still deemed a wanted wizard?" Kingsley continued, his voice booming but his eyes full of regret. 

"I did," Hermione swallowed and looked fixedly at the floor in front of her. 

"Do any of the members present in court wish to say anything against the accused?" Kingsley asked, turning around to glare at the Wizengamot, plainly commanding them to not dare to open their mouths.

A hand went up in the air. Hermione looked at the old, wizened wizard from the corner of her eye. All the while, a boulder of tension settled itself snugly in her mind, and proceeded to leer at her.

"She has also," the man said in a raspy sort of voice, "illegally gone through the records of the Diagon Alley apothecary."

Hermione choked on air.

"Is this true?" Kingsley asked, heaving a sigh.

Hermione's face was aflush, "Yes."

"That was only to hunt down Podmore!" Harry said, his voice raised. The wizened wizard gave him a look similar to that of a hawk looking at its prey.

"Do not speak without prior permission," the man said sternly. 

Harry threw him such a fierce glare that the man faltered. Draco placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and made him sit down. 

"Miss Granger is also charged with destruction of property," the man continued, "the property being referred to is Malfoy Manor."

"I assure you that I have no concerns regarding the destruction of our property," Lucius sneered at the man, and Hermione felt strangely grateful to him, "if it wouldn't have been for her, me and my family would most likely be dead by now."

"Not to mention you would never have succeeded in capturing Podmore," Draco spoke up, blatantly ignoring the old wizard who was sputtering furiously. 

"She had committed all the crimes while in full consciousness!" The old Wizard's voice rose a few pitches higher, "The only reason she gave-"

"Was to protect society from further harm and save an innocent man from false conviction," Ginny said, giving the old man a look very reminiscent of Molly Weasley.

A few other Wizengamot members who were in support of the grouchy man began an uproar.

"Silence," Kingsley didn't have to raise his voice. Silence fell immediately over the cavernous courtroom.