The children who lived, Fought, and Loved

Chapter Sixty one

Umbridge.

The twins get out of the wooden chair and glance upward at the toad-like witch. Their eyes meet for a split second. She glowers at them as they exit.

"I have a feeling that she's gonna be a problem," Dorcas says under her breath.

As Harry opens the Courtroom door he almost collides with Mr. Weasley, who is standing right outside, looking pale and apprehensive.

"Dumbledore didn't say —"

"Cleared," Harry said, pulling the door closed behind him, "of all charges!"

There was a large amount of cheering,

"Ha! suck it." James grins

"Damn, potter luck," Snape mumbled bitterly.

Sirius jumps onto the bench waving his tie in the air, whooping.

"Mr. Black please sit down," Mcgongall stresses.

"Oh come on Minnie." Sirius pouts.

Beaming, Mr. Weasley seized Harry and Primrose by the shoulders.

"Harry, Rosie, that's wonderful! Well, of course, they couldn't have found you guilty, not on the evidence, but even so, I can't pretend I wasn't-"

But Mr. Weasley broke off because the courtroom door had just opened again.
The Wizengamot were filing out.

"Merlin's beard," said Mr. Weasley wonderingly, pulling the twins aside to let them all pass, "You were tried by the full court?"

Fleamont shakes his head, "Unbelievable."

"I think so," said Harry quietly.

One or two of the passing wizards nodded to Harry and Rose as they passed and a few, including Madam Bones, said, "Morning, Arthur," to Mr. Weasley, but most averted their eyes.

Fudge and the toad-like witch were the last to leave the dungeon. Fudge acted as though Mr. Weasley and Harry were part of the wall, but again, the witch looked almost appraisingly at the twins as she passed. Last of all to pass was Percy. Like Fudge, he completely ignored his father, Harry, and Rose; he marched past his back rigid and his nose in the air. The lines around Mr. Weasley's mouth tightened slightly, but other than this he gave no sign that he had noticed his third son.

Molly frowns, confused about why her son would ignore his father.

"Git" Primrose mumbles.

"Er...is Percy mad at you?"

"Ah... yes. I'm afraid we had a bit of a row. He, well, he sided with Fudge and the rest of us sided with Dumbledore, so Percy left."

Molly's jaw wobbled as she was on the verge of tears.

They begin walking away from the courtroom when they come upon Fudge talking quietly with Lucius Malfoy, standing at the mouth of the corridor Harry had recognized earlier.

Lucius sits taller at the sight of himself on screen.

Narcissa rolls her eyes.

Lucius turned at the sound of their footsteps. He broke off in mid-conversation, his cold gray eyes narrowed and fixed upon Harry's and Primrose's faces.

"Well, well, well... Patronus Potters," said Lucius coolly.

Harry had begun breathing heavily, he had last seen those cool gray eyes through slits in a Death Eater's hood, and last heard that man's voice jeering in a dark graveyard while Lord Voldemort tortured him.