Defending the Dark (Dramione)

Chapter 22: Friends Today

As Draco entered the courtroom the next day for his trial, he quickly scanned the crowd. There was only one person he wanted to see, but he knew she wasn't there.

Sure enough, he saw his mother, Potter, and Luna, like last time, but no Hermione.

On McLaggen's side of the courtroom, he saw Katie Bell, and his former Slytherin classmate, Blaise Zabini. Surprisingly, he didn't see Ronald Weasley. Draco hoped he had decided not to testify, after all.

Draco felt a strange sense of déjà vu as McLaggen began his opening statement, looking as pompous as ever. Steven countered with his statement, which was similar to Hermione's, and soon the trial was in full swing. Testimonies and memories began to be recounted, a horrible tribute to the most terrible moments in Draco's life.

Luna Lovegood was the first witness called to the stand. Thankfully, she steered clear of mentioning any strange magical creatures and painted a very lovely, although flowery, portrayal of Draco's inner goodness. Draco couldn't help but notice how Steven stared at her in awe at her calm, thoughtful answers to McLaggen's aggressive questions. He half expected Steven to applaud Luna as she stepped down from the stand.

Katie Bell took the stand, and Draco stiffened, averting his gaze as she described the terrible pain the cursed necklace caused her when she'd touched it. McLaggen asked a slew of questions, clearly sparing no detail. An angry hum spread throughout the courtroom as Katie explained how she had spent six months in the hospital recovering from the incident.

Next, Draco's mother shared several memories and statements explaining Lucius's strict pureblood beliefs that he had subjected Draco to all his life. While Draco could hear the pain and emotion in his mother's voice—so unusual for her—he feared her testimony would not carry much weight because the Malfoys were still so hated.

Following his mother's testimony, the Prosecution shared Draco's memory of him taking the Dark Mark, which they had subpoenaed. McLaggen seemed very pleased and paused a moment to relish the disapproving murmurs spreading through the courtroom before calling a new witness to the stand.

"...Mr. Blaise Zabini."

Draco frowned upon seeing his former Slytherin classmate stroll confidently up to the stand. The two had never been good friends, most likely because they had shared a similar arrogance. Zabini's dark eyes barely glanced Draco's way as he turned to McLaggen with an easy smile on his face, looking every bit the charmer.

"Mr. Zabini, how do you know the defendant?"

"We were classmates and roommates our entire time at Hogwarts."

"I see, and in your opinion, was the defendant a victim of his circumstances?"

"Not at all," Zabini said, flashing a pleasant smile. His handsome looks had only improved over the years, and Draco knew the crowd was eating up his testimony. "Draco never attempted to hide his views on Muggle-borns or how much he admired his father's beliefs. He was a Death Eater in the making the entire time I knew him, and I never saw him act or express otherwise."

"I see . . . and do any specific instances come to mind of the defendant's fervor to Voldemort's cause?"

"Yes, at the start of our sixth year—it was after Draco had taken the Dark Mark, although I didn't know that at the time. He bragged to me and a few other students about having been chosen by Voldemort for a special task. Said his age didn't matter because all Voldemort cared about was his level of devotion."

Draco frowned, sensing the glares of so many in the courtroom on him. He remembered the day well—the anger he'd felt about his father's name being disgraced, and the judgmental stares he had received from so many students when he'd boarded the Hogwarts Express. He had attempted to bolster his pride by telling himself it didn't matter—that he was above caring what his classmates thought about him, and they'd soon see what he was capable of.