Hello lovelies! This is Blood Drgn at yer service! I will try to keep up a monthly update on this story unless it hits it off great with ya reviewers then I might increase as much as weekly updates. Since I'm currently working on a few other stories as well I can't at this time promise ya chapters any quicker then that.
Update: I have found a Beta I totally adore so... This chapter is now Beta'd. I am ashamed to say I didn't notice I kept misspelling Kingsley's name. T-T If you have read this chapter before you will notice some slight sentence structure changes but not much. Cha for now!
BTW: As much as I wish I do... I do NOT own Harry Potter or Dragonridders of Pern.
Harry woke early and stared at the roof of Hogwarts' Hospital Wing. He was still numb from the shock of surviving the last battle against Voldemort and awed by the knowledge that his life was finally his to live. He looked towards the curtains that separated his bed from the rest of the Hospital Wing and wondered if they had finally cleared the battle grounds of the dead. Harry couldn't help but wonder what they would do with the fallen Death Eaters. He hoped even they would be given a peaceful resting place and not shunted off into unmarked graves. Even if they were evil and had murdered they still deserved a resting place. After all, who were the living to judge the dead? That was the job of whatever god they believed in.
Harry's wandering thoughts went out to those he had lost and those that would be marred irrefutably irreparably. by the war. He wondered after George who had lost his other half, his twin. After poor sweet Teddy who had no mother or father to raise him. After Andy and even the Malfoys.
"The Malfoys!" Harry shouted as he bolted out of bed, only to nearly collapse the minute his feet hit the cold floor of the castle. Only by clinging to his bed was Harry able to force his legs to stop shaking and stumble almost drunkenly to the curtain around his bed. Harry flung away the curtain and ran shakily to the Hospital Wing's door. Pushing open the large doors made Harry's arms quake in effort but soon enough he was through the doors and sprinting down the hall towards the Great Hall. Harry dismissively recognized Madam Pomfrey shouting at him about not being ready to leave her wing as he fled down the hall. Finally, out of breath and shaking, Harry arrived at the Great Hall's doors. It took all of his strength to push open the doors as he stumbled, exhausted, and plummeted towards the floor. Luckily, Kingsley was able to catch him before his face met the stone floor.
"Harry!" Headmistress Minerva McGonagall shouted in surprise. "What are you doing out of the hospital wing?! Poppy said you need to rest for another week! At least a week!"
"Come now, Minerva. I'm sure Harry has a good reason to be rushing about." Kingsley said with a gentle smile as he helped Harry to stand and held him until his legs stopped shaking.
"The Malfoys." Harry managed to croak out, "Where?"
"We are here, Potter." Lucius Malfoy responded, somewhat desolate.
Harry turned to stare at the Malfoy family. They were surrounded by Aurors. Both Lucius and Narcissa were being held by Aurors while Draco was simply surrounded. Neither Narcissa nor Draco would raise their heads to meet Harry's eyes but Lucius was staring at Harry pleadingly. Harry turned to study the others gathered in the Great Hall. Besides Kingsley, Minerva, and the Aurors he didn't recognize, there were the surviving members of the Wizengamot.
"Trial?" Harry croaked as he moved to sit at the closest table, which just so happened to be the Slytherin table. Kingsley sat beside him with a bone-weary sigh.
"Harry it has been decided..." Kingsley began.
"No!" Harry shouted, his magic causing a wind to blow through the hall. Everyone's eyes shot up and focused on Harry. Lucius looked at Harry with hope while the other two Malfoys looked at him with surprise. "Let me speak on their behalf." Harry whispered weakly "Please?"
Kingsley looked down at Harry with confusion then turned to look at the Wizengamot. The Wizengamot looked at each other then began to whisper in barely audible voices to one another. They whispered among themselves for a few minutes then turned to look at the Aurors and Malfoys. After a few minutes of silent debate, Augusta Longbottom stepped forward from the Wizengamot and turned to face Harry.
"We will hear what you have to say, Mr. Potter, but let me tell you now it will take a lot to convince us to change our decision." Augusta said in a no nonsense tone.
"Thank you." Harry intoned politely then took a deep breath.
After releasing his breath, Harry launched into a tale about the Malfoys that spanned decades and touched two generations. Harry spoke about what he himself had experienced by Malfoy hands and what others, including Severus Snape, had as well. After spinning his tale for almost an hour, Harry sat back with a sigh. If this couldn't save the Malfoys, Harry didn't think anything could. The Wizengamot was silent for a few minutes as they digested Harry's words then turned as one together and began to whisper again. Lucius smiled gratefully at Harry. After barely five minutes Augusta stepped forward once more.
Before Harry could say anything Augusta beamed at him and said, "You truly have done what I thought was impossible." She waited momentarily as more then one breath gasped in disbelief. "Thanks to the testimony of Mr. Potter the Wizengamot has found the entire Malfoy family innocent of their supposed crimes. They shall be released from Auror custody immediately and their wands shall be returned to them once the Ministry is once more up and running in one month's time."
"Well done, Harry." Kingsley whispered before rising from his seat beside the exhausted Savior. "You heard the woman, Aurors! No one here needs to be arrested! Let's head out, we have criminals to catch!" Kingsley shouted before marching out of the Great Hall with the Aurors following, bewildered looks on their faces.
"Minerva, it was pleasant seeing you again." Augusta said as she inclined her head to Minerva then made her way out of Hogwarts with the rest of the Wizengamot.
Minerva sighed heavily then smiled at Harry. "Well done, Harry. Well done." Minerva mumbled as she hurried after Kingsley in hopes of speaking with him about Hogwarts' restoration before he headed back to the Ministry.
Lucius moved to leave the Great Hall with his shell-shocked family following him. He gave a heavy sigh of relief then smiled and nodded to Harry as he passed. Harry returned his smile then purposefully looked towards the door. Lucius understood in that one moment more about Harry Potter then anyone truly did. Lucius smiled one last time at the odd selfless young man then made his way out of the Great Hall with his wife following quickly behind him. Neither noticed their son stop directly in front of Harry and study him intently. Harry looked up at Draco and met his stare evenly.
"What can I do to repay you?" Draco whispered in ill-disguised unease.
"You don't need to repay me for anything." Harry whispered back, unsure on what prompted them both to feel like their conversation needed to be whispered.
Draco studied Harry again for a few minutes then offered his hand.
Harry smiled then took his hand. "Friends?" He questioned with more power behind his voice.
"Friends." Draco responded.