Simple Kind Of Life

Twists of Fate

Blaise looked up from his seat on the floor, not really acknowledging his wife but at the dark-haired witch that had once been a fellow Slytherin and friend; both of them sharing some sort of discomfort at the mention of Goyle's sentence in Azkaban.

"Now, all of you know that the Wizengamot's word is final,” the Minister continued, “but after the Head Auror and I talked to the Council, we managed to shorten Mister Goyle's sentence to six years of prison for his forced participation and cooperation with the Auror Department."

Expecting to hear some sort of protest from at least Ron and Pansy Weasley — because the latter had expressed deep desire to punish Goyle for his misleading participation in the kidnap of their daughter — Kingsley continued without interruption. "And, referring to Mister Goyle's case, the body of his wife Parvati Goyle née Patil is assigned to be buried in the grounds of Hogwarts along with all those fallen war heroes. Are there any protests?"

Looking saddened in her hazel-eyes, Ginny shook her head as the rest remained silent. "No, Parvati deserves to be buried there,” she said in a gentle voice as Harry nodded slowly in agreement. "She was a member of the D.A and she deserves the respect and admiration of her fight during the war and the way she…died."

"After failing to find the whereabouts of Padma and her family, Mister Goyle has requested that his daughter be cremated and her ashes spread around Australia, the place she knew as her home, since there’s no living relative that can claim the body."

Feeling a knot in her throat, because even though she had hated Goyle for hours, Pansy had never wished him to lose his family the way he had. Not especially after he had traded his liberty for their safety. Something only a real man, a father and a husband would’ve done. (Because Salazar knows that if it ever came to it, Pansy would’ve no doubt committed unthinkable crimes to keep Ron and their children safe in a heartbeat.)

"What about the boy?" Her voice was low and unsteady. "Garrett, Goyle's son? What's to become of him after he leaves St. Mungos?"

Noticing that worry that only a mother can have sparkle in her dark-eyes, Mrs. Weasley decided to answer for her daughter-in-law. "As he was rescued from Malfoy Manor and the culprits, the boy was already registered as an orphan. And unless Padma is found the boy’s eligible for adoption seeing as his only living parent is unfit to take care of him."

And this time, Blaise looked at Cho; his sorrow and grief for his old friend's family spreading in his bright eyes.

"Now, in the matter of Aries Yaxley,” and not letting the silence deepen, Mister Weasley continued, “as full accomplice to Tanya Rowle's blood-stained plans, he is sentenced to forty years in Azkaban prison without a chance of parole; alongside his recruiters."

At that, no one said anything. Ron muttered a curse word, Pansy rolled her eyes, and George chuckled as the rest nodded.

"As tortured victim, forced and used in these accounts, Eliz Wilkes, cousin of Aries Yaxley, was released immediately after her interrogation with the Auror Department."

"I found no reason to hold her prisoner,” adding his own, Harry Potter cut across his father-in-law. "She was innocent right from the start. She's just a girl trying to get on with her life and that’s what we decided to grant her. We're giving her full protection as she returns to Italy to continue on with her education. Though…."

"Though?" Pansy questioned. "Though what, Potter?"

The Chosen One shrugged. "She has asked permission to visit Garrett Goyle as much as she possibly can while he’s in the hospital and after he’s transferred to his designated orphanage."