Sentencing of Lucius Malfoy

By Howard J. Howe

The Wizengamot had never been so tense, not since the founding of the enclaves had muggles been allowed into them in numbers…let allow the Crown's soldiers. The presences of the muggle soldiery in the enclaves had unnerved the Wizarding world.

The utter defeat and route of the Death Eaters by the Crown and their allies had been welcome but the price had been the evaporation of the previous forbearance of the Crown. Indeed a quarter of the Ministry of Magicks personnel had been sacked imprisoned for corruption or other crimes and another third sacked for incompetence since the Crown took over direct rule of the enclaves in exchange for their continued existence. Tensions had been high. This had lessened as the Crown National Magical Constabulary patrols had worked to maintain order and defuse the worst of the tensions. The numbers of soldiers had quickly been reduced in areas they had taken over. The wizards had been shocked to see many of the new constables where squibs or had children who where "muggle-born" or where muggle-born wizards and witches themselves. The calm and soft but firm voiced constables (both in muggle police uniform, but one with the old police cape) had worked quite well, much to the chagrin of the purebloods and the grudging acceptance of the wizarding community.

The crowd this early morning waiting for the court to come into the session was abuzz with fearful energy. Security was strict, no wands, all magical or electronic devices where barred unless they passed screening and then only for accredited reporters, no bags where allowed and every one was double checked. An undercurrent of disquiet filled the room. Normally they would know what the sentence would be but that had all changed. No longer were the old laws and attitudes disregarding Muggle claims tolerated, no longer where wizards tried by their own under the lax pureblood protection laws and farcical public show trials, now Crown law prevailed.

These trails where not show trials, they had been legally correct, meticulous in the details of evidence and relentless in their pursuit of the guilty. Crown and Wizard technicians had worked side by side to sort the evidence and present it in detailed coherent reports, using strict Crown laws of evidence. These had over the last ten weeks resulted in forty convictions, but unlike wizarding trials of the past sentence had been withheld on the marked Death Eaters "for review by higher authority". Today they would hear the first of the convicted Death Eaters leadership, Lucius Malfoy himself, sentenced. His young his wife sat in the front row of the public viewing area, holding her nearly two year old son, waiting in tense expectation.

A few minutes after nine in the morning the Crown Soldiers brought in the elder Malfoy. He no longer wore the robes of a wealthy and socially powerful wizard. Today he wore an orange jump suit and brown slippers of a convict. His hands where cuffed to a waist belt and leggings fitted from the belt to his ankles with chains and an ankle bar prevented him walking in anything but a shuffle. His hair had been shaved back to one centimeter stubble. Around his neck and wrists were magic inhibitors. The four men moving him never let go of him until they had chained his leg bar into the ring in floor of the docket.

While he had pride and controlled himself well keen observers noted the look of… regret in the normally icy grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy as he looked back over his shoulder at his wife and son and was quiet, awaiting the five judge panel too arrive to announce his fate.

Soon the judges came in and the court was brought to session. After several minutes verifying the identity of the accused and the judges, the president of the court directed Lucius to stand. The president of the court had a sheet of paper and a sealed envelope sat in front of him by the bailiff.

"Is their anything you may wish to say too this court Mr. Malfoy before we pass sentence?"

"No … I have nothing to say… too Muggles," He said in a voice of cold disdain after a moment's silence.

"Very well, then Mr. Malfoy I shall read your sentence," said the lead judge totally non-pulsed by the comment. Malfoy said nothing. "Lucius Malfoy, first, as you are a felon with more then three violent convictions the court orders that your wand be destroyed immediately and that your are forbidden from ever owning another or handling one under penalty of law," The Judge nodded to the bailiff, a former Auror, who pointed his own wand at Malfoys wand sitting in the shielded circle on the pedestal in front of the docket. A single *Incendio* and Malfoys wand was ash.

The wizard and witches in the court went numb. The wizarding world never destroyed wands. With the sentencing the Crowns judges showed that they would destroy the wands of wizards reducing them to the status of squibs or requiring them to start the process of melding with a wand all over. "In the matter of the eighty-three counts of rape…the court directs you to forfeit a third of the assed cash value of your estate in wergild… this amount to be sequestered half in an educational trust for the seventeen children that have resulted from these acts…the rest divided equally among the families you have damaged."

The courtroom was stunned, not only because of the size of the forfeiture but… *seventeen* children? From Lucius Malfoy proponent of the single child family? When did a rape victim under the old laws ever get this kind of compensation?

"For the acts as a Death Eater in the service of Tom Riddle the Self styled Lord Voldemort, the One hundred Forty-three counts of first degree homicide you have been convicted of. The two counts of sedition and the two counts of treason, a jury has found you guilty and the Crown has attained your titles and dissolved the House of Malfoy." This statement brought dead quite to the spectators as the stunned realization that nearly a thousand years of history had just been erased with the stroke of a pen.

"This court would have sentenced you to life in prison, with total forfeiture of parole for each act… but in consultation with both the Crowns Ministers and officials, it was decided that we do not have a prison of sufficient security to prevent you from again become the danger to society that you have demonstrated in the past…" the crowd buzzed softly and the judge gaveled them into silence, "Any further outbreaks and the bailiff will be directed to clear the gallery." The crowd stilled. Malfoy looked puzzled, he was not alone many of the wizards present where also wondering what this could mean. Would he get off? A lesser sentence? The dementors where banished and the veil itself destroyed. What prison did they have for him?

"Because of this fact and the danger that you represent the Court brought your case to the Sovereign for review. Here is her Majesties reply…" the judge' voice rang out the formal tones as the president of the court opened the wax sealed envelope in front of himself. His eye arched as he read the letter in front of him then he showed it to the judges on either side for confirmation, the tension in the room rose several more notches. They all nodded at what they had read. Several raised eyebrows themselves and looked at the head magistrate before checking the authenticity a second time. When it was confirmed to be a valid document all five judges agreed to read the verdict to the court. The muggle barrister who had assisted the barrister-wizard for Malfoy paled when the senior judge donned a simple black cap over the white wig. Then in a tone like ice again began speaking.

"Lucius Malfoy, listen to the words of the sovereign. 'We find that in all due diligence had been done on the part of our ministers. That even as our officers have taken and shown great forbearance to preserve your rights as our subject… that you scorn, denigrate and viciously attack your fellow subjects and that you with your gifts should have protected. We also find that your past history has shown that you would continue to be a danger to your fellow subjects and to the safety of the Realm as a whole…therefore with no practical alternative… We Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, sentence you to death. Done this day in London, June 27…'" The courtroom was silent until it heard the word death then it erupted in pandemonium as Lucius Malfoy stood dumb struck.

"ORDER," bellowed the judge. Hammering his gavel several times, the crowd lowered its volume and reseated itself. The judge handed the death warrant to the bailiff and continued with the rest of the sentencing. "Lucius Malfoy, you have been sentenced too death. I direct that you be taken from this courtroom and thence to the Tower of London. And that at noon this day, you are to be taken to the Tower Green where in a manner proscribe under Article three section four of the Covenant of 1248…your head shall be struck from your neck. Your head and body are then to be incinerated and your ashes scattered at sea. May God Have Mercy on your Soul. This case is closed… next case."

The judge hammered the gavel down three times and the panel stood and exited the room. Malfoy could only look at the tears streaming down his wife's face and his screaming son as the four soldiers came in and secured him for transport.